American search-and-rescue teams pulled a 9-month-old infant alive from rubble days after twin earthquakes struck Venezuela, the U.S. Department of State said Saturday. The infant and her mother were rescued and suffered only minor injuries, the rescue team told Fox News Digital.
The State Department shared video on social media showing U.S. personnel removing the child as crews continued searching for survivors more than 72 hours after the quakes. “This heroic rescue was carried out in Catia La Mar by the Fairfax County Urban Search and Rescue team (USA-01), which deployed to Venezuela on June 26 following activation by the State Department,” a State Department spokesperson said.
The quakes, measured at magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, struck Venezuela’s northern coast on Wednesday. Venezuelan officials said the death toll had reached 1,430 as of Saturday evening, and The Associated Press reported that more than 68,000 people remained missing. Officials earlier Saturday said 243 people had been rescued.
Urban Search and Rescue teams from Virginia, California and Florida were dispatched to Venezuela on Friday, the State Department said. The three U.S. teams include 312 personnel, 18 canine teams and more than 200,000 pounds of specialized rescue equipment. The Los Angeles County team, the department said, includes 73 members with concrete-breaking gear and listening devices used to detect survivors.
The United States has pledged $150 million in emergency assistance, according to the State Department. The department posted on X, “Against impossible odds, hope endures,” and the White House called the footage “America at its best.” Venezuelan officials said 17 flights carrying more than 1,600 rescue personnel arrived Saturday to assist search-and-rescue efforts.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
