A mother who was pulled from the debris of her destroyed home in Venezuela alongside her 18-day-old son has shared the harrowing account of how the infant provided her with the strength to survive. Dayana Patino explained that her newborn, Juan David, served as her primary motivation to remain alert and awake throughout the ordeal. She noted that as long as her son showed signs of life, she was determined to do the same, frequently checking his nose to ensure he was still breathing.
Footage documenting their rescue has gained international attention, with young Juan David becoming an emblem of hope for a nation currently reeling from twin earthquakes that struck on Wednesday. The disaster has resulted in at least 1,450 confirmed deaths, while tens of thousands of individuals remain missing following what the interim president described as the most severe natural catastrophe in the nation’s history. While search efforts continue, experts warn that the window of opportunity to locate more survivors is rapidly closing.
Speaking from a clinic in Caracas on Sunday, Dayana recounted the terrifying hours she spent buried underground, clutching her son and praying for intervention. She had been washing dishes in her eighth-floor apartment in La Guaira when the quakes hit. Expecting a mild tremor, she immediately rushed to shield her only child. She described the sensation of being tossed about as the building collapsed, causing her to fall into a pit where she became pinned against furniture. Despite being trapped with her left leg crushed under concrete and her head pressed against a rock, she maintained focus by only screaming for help when she detected nearby voices or movement.
Dayana found a sense of hope when she discovered a bible beneath her in the dark. She eventually spotted a faint light, which she likened to the moon, just before hearing her brother calling her name. She shouted for him with all her strength, and he promised not to leave until she was rescued. A delicate operation on Thursday night successfully brought both mother and child to safety. While Dayana sustained injuries to both legs, Juan David suffered only minor harm.
Her husband, Gerson, had just parked his vehicle when the disaster occurred, managing to reach safety by jumping over a fence. He described the moment of their rescue as a miracle, admitting that he had feared the worst. Footage of the event shows a visibly overwhelmed Gerson embracing his family, later telling the BBC that reuniting with them felt like a rebirth. Although the family lost their home and all their possessions, and are still searching for their missing dog, they expressed a firm resolve to rebuild their lives from scratch.
