![\"Rescue](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/36a47988-466d-4fb4-864d-47e209d2cfce.jpeg\" "\\"Rescue")
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Rescue workers carry Hern\u00e1n Alberto Gil Flores, 44, an earthquake survivor, in La Guaira, Venezuela, on Thursday. Photo by Ronald R. Pena\/EPA<\/p>\n
A team of South Florida fire departments led by the City of Miami Fire Rescue along with other international groups helped rescue Hern\u00e1n Alberto Flores Gil on Thursday, a man who had been trapped under tons of rubble for eight days after the back to back earthquakes in Venezuela.<\/p>\n
The City of Miami said that the South Florida teams worked nonstop for 53 hours using their extensive expertise and high-tech equipment to free the man.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, all of Miami has reason to be proud,\u201d said Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins in a statement.<\/p>\n
USAR Florida Task Force 2 (FL-TF2) deployed 80 highly trained personnel from various municipalities across South Florida to the South American country.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn behalf of the City of Miami, I want to thank every member of Miami Fire Rescue and the entire South Florida Urban Search and Rescue Team for representing our city and our country. You have shown the world what Miami stands for: courage in the face of adversity, selfless service, and an unshakable commitment to saving lives wherever help is needed,\u201d said Higgins.<\/p>\n
The rescue was part of an international effort with rescue groups from El Salvador, Chile, Costa Rica, Portugal, and the U.S. The mission started on Monday at 10 a.m.<\/p>\n
The president of El Salvador, Najib Bukele, has been posting on social media about Flores Gil since at least Tuesday.<\/a> He shared videos and updates about the mission that have gone viral.<\/p>\n \u201cOur teams have managed to reach 44-year-old Hern\u00e1n Alberto Gil Flores, who remains trapped in the rubble at the Galer\u00edas Playa Grande shopping center,\u201d Bukele wrote Tuesday. \u201cContact has been established; he is currently being supplied with water through a hose while rescue efforts continue.\u201d<\/p>\n Nuestros equipos han logrado llegar hasta Hern\u00e1n Alberto Gil Flores, de 44 a\u00f1os, quien permanece atrapado entre los escombros, en el centro comercial Galer\u00edas Playa Grande.<\/p>\n Ya se estableci\u00f3 contacto con \u00e9l, en este momento, se le est\u00e1 suministrando agua a trav\u00e9s de una manguera\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/rYxdF3iQLs<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) June 30, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n On Wednesday Bukele shared that the difficulty teams were facing was that he was trapped under a nine floor structure that was extremely unstable. The tunnel they had dug to get to him suffered damages and rescuers had to begin to open up a new tunnel parallel to the first one. Still, they maintained contact with Flores Gil throughout.<\/p>\n Thursday, Bukele joined the chorus of other users on social media celebrating the man\u2019s rescue.<\/p>\n In his post he said in part, \u201cWe extend our admiration and recognition to all the rescuers who participated in this operation, as well as to Hern\u00e1n, whose strength and resilience over the course of more than seven days were extraordinary. Medical professionals are currently assessing his condition so that he can be transferred to a hospital and continue receiving the care he needs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a1FINALMENTE LOGRAMOS RESCATAR A HERN\u00c1N!<\/p>\n Despu\u00e9s de m\u00e1s de 72 horas de trabajo y tras enfrentar una estructura sumamente inestable, r\u00e9plicas, derrumbes y la necesidad de abrir una nueva v\u00eda de acceso para poder llegar hasta \u00e9l, rescatamos con vida a Hern\u00e1n Alberto Gil Flores, de\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/wSuGDgGUXU<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) July 2, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n This story was originally published July 2, 2026 at 2:28 PM.<\/p>\n
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