Hernán Gil had spent eight days trapped on level minus two of a shopping center in La Guaira, Venezuela, buried by the collapse caused by the earthquake. Eight days without seeing light, sustained only by IV fluids, medication, and baby food that rescuers managed to get to him through the rubble.
When the rescue team finally arrived, a Portuguese rescuer named Armando María identified himself and explained that he had traveled from Portugal to help. Hernán, still trapped, reacted instantly: “From Portugal? Like Cristiano Ronaldo?”. The rescuer, surprised, asked him if he knew the footballer’s signature shout. Hernán did not hesitate for a second and let out a “Siuuu!” that echoed through the rubble.
More than one hundred hours bearing the weight of a collapsed building, and what remained etched was a smile. Because while so many families in Venezuela are still waiting for news of their loved ones under the same rubble, Hernán’s story is a reminder of how much a person can endure when they decide not to give up.