Gil became trapped in his security booth in a building in Catia La Mar, La Guaira state, after the double earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 that struck the region on June 24. This natural disaster has so far caused more than 2,300 deaths and left thousands of citizens missing.
The rescue operation has the collaboration of specialists from seven countries, including delegations from the United States, Mexico, Chile, Portugal, El Salvador, and Costa Rica. Rescuers have been excavating two simultaneous routes over the past three days to try to reach Gil, facing the imminent danger of a neighboring building leaning whose foundations have had to be reinforced with wood and iron to prevent a total collapse on the work area. Cristian Vera, leader of the Chilean rescue team, has emphasized the extreme difficulty of accessing the structure due to its instability.
Hernán Gil remains alive thanks to an improvised life support system; the teams supply him with air through a tube and hydration through a probe. In a video posted by the Chilean Firefighters, the man is seen inside his booth moving his head towards the camera, although he has a reddened eye and is using a mask. His wife, Gusbimar González, has described his survival as "a miracle", detailing that the earthquake displaced the booth, leaving him confined between walls.
This rescue represents a ray of hope in a country facing a humanitarian crisis exacerbated by the tragedy, with the UN estimating close to 50,000 missing persons and millions of people in vulnerable situations. While the government has declared seven days of national mourning for the victims, Hernán's fight for life symbolizes the resilience of a population marked by disaster and international cooperation.