A harrowing story of survival comes from Venezuela, where a 43-year-old man was pulled alive from the rubble, eight days after the deadly earthquake that struck the country. The man described the dramatic moments he experienced while trapped under the rubble, his struggle to stay alive, and the thoughts that helped him endure until his rescue.

Speaking to ERTnews, the 43-year-old said that it all happened in a matter of seconds, when rocks fell on his head and in his eye.

“Everything went black”

“At first, rocks hit my head and my eye. At that moment, everything went black; I think I lost consciousness for a moment,” said the 43-year-old.

As he described it, when he came to, he realized he was trapped and couldn’t move.

“When I came to a little, I felt that I couldn’t move. There were rocks on top of me,” he said.

He initially tried to call for help, but no one could hear him. “I tried to shout, but no one heard me. And I didn’t hear anyone else inside the building either. Complete silence,” he noted.

“I was waiting for a miracle”

The 43-year-old also spoke about the moments when he believed he wouldn’t make it out of the rubble alive.

“At one point, I felt I wouldn’t make it out. I was waiting for a miracle, but through my faith in God and prayer, I made it out,” he said.

As he recounted, during those agonizing hours, he thought of his wife and children, asking for just one more chance.

“I was asking for just one chance to do things over again. I was thinking that I want to see my wife and children again, and from now on, with this chance, I want to do something better and help those who couldn’t make it out,” he said.

What the Greek doctor who treated him said

The Greek doctor who treated him in Caracas also spoke about the 43-year-old’s health, noting that he is doing very well, given the circumstances under which he was found.

As he explained, a key factor in his survival was that, when he was found, the rescuers inserted a small tube through which they administered food, water, and electrolytes.

“That’s what helped save him,” the doctor said.

The story of the 43-year-old is one of the most moving moments amid the tragedy caused by the earthquake in Venezuela, reminding us that even beneath the rubble, hope can remain alive.

Source: cnn.gr