The rescue team initially believed they were on a mission to save lives.
Upon reaching Venezuela’s hardest-hit coastal area, they were informed they would likely be locating the deceased.
Fifteen hours after catastrophic earthquakes struck Venezuela, Dr. Zaira Medina, 58, assembled medical personnel and supplies to travel to La Guaira, the region most severely affected by the disaster.
“I am going to war,” Dr. Medina declared to her team as they prepared. They nodded solemnly. “Show compassion to those arriving. If you see a child, embrace them,” she advised.
Residing near Portofino Beach, a nine-story sand-colored structure serving as both vacation home and medical base, Dr. Medina’s apartments had collapsed in the tremor, trapping neighbors and creating a dangerous tilt.
The team departed in six vehicles wearing medical scrubs and typical footwear. Time, usually a one-hour journey, stretched to four hours due to congestion.
En route, they encountered a partially collapsed church reduced to exposed structural remains.
With Doctor Medina’s expertise, the group established a perimeter around Portofino Beach where Civil Protection personnel were already operating amidst the wreckage.
Germán Ortiz, leading the local emergency response, detected the pungent smell of decomposition and confirmed no survivor communications from the building.
Despite initial insistence from Dr. Medina that someone must be alive, Ortiz denied entry due to safety concerns. After negotiation, they began clearing debris in 20-minute rotations using available tools.
Complicating efforts was the absence of proper safety gear – a critical issue the medical team eventually overcame by working from a safe distance.
When darkness fell without adequate illumination, operations paused temporarily. The team later relocated to search other potential sites while authorities investigated?
Upon detecting movement through Colombian rescue workers, they discovered looters rather than survivors. Subsequent conflicts erupted over maintaining quiet search conditions versus reporting findings.
After six hours, the exhausted team returned to Caracas at 4 AM. Their mission, despite noble intentions, yielded no successful rescues – all targeted individuals were either unreachable or deceased.
