A U.S. search and rescue team rescued a mother and her 9-month-old baby from the rubble of a building in Venezuela that collapsed following the twin earthquakes that struck the country on June 24.
The Virginia Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1 on Sunday shared videos from Saturday’s operation showing rescuers pulling the woman from the debris.
Today, members of USA-01, working alongside local firefighters, rescued a mother & her nine-month-old baby from a collapsed structure. Both were found alive with only minor injuries, brought to safety to the cheers of neighbors.
This is our why: the delivery of hope.@StateDept pic.twitter.com/3ZmJWlN5oL— VA-TF1 / USA-01 – Urban Search and Rescue (@VATF1) June 27, 2026
A separate video shared by the U.S. State Department showed the infant, wrapped in blue fabric, being carried from the rubble. The baby’s face was blurred, but the child could be heard crying.
Against impossible odds, hope endures. 🇺🇸
American search and rescue teams rescued an infant from beneath the rubble following the earthquake in Venezuela. Every life saved is a victory. pic.twitter.com/PcFayXEqNP
— Department of State (@StateDept) June 27, 2026
“Against impossible odds, hope endures,” the State Department said. “Every life saved is a victory.”
According to the Virginia Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1, the mother and child suffered “only minor injuries.”
“This is our why,” the team said. “The delivery of hope.”
Videos shared by media outlets on Sunday also showed rescuers from the Virginia Urban Search and Rescue Team and the French Civil Security pulling a father and his young son alive from the rubble in the coastal city of La Guaira, four days after they became trapped.
United States search and rescue team members pulled a father and his young son from the rubble on Sunday in Venezuela’s state of La Guaira, days after two powerful earthquakes hit the country. pic.twitter.com/YdxDqR9u8n
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 28, 2026
GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING: A father and son were pulled alive from the rubble of a collapsed building in La Guaira, Venezuela, four days after twin earthquakes killed over 1,400 people and left scores missing https://t.co/Nj4mrQQhMt pic.twitter.com/diaWNJCC4X
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 28, 2026
“They are extremely weak, as any patient trapped under rubble for four days would be, so we are doing everything possible to rehydrate them and administer various medications during the extraction process, which is moving very slowly,” one rescuer said.
The rescues came as international search efforts continued across northern Venezuela following the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes that devastated coastal communities on June 24. Authorities said the confirmed death toll had risen to 1,450, while about 50,000 people remained missing.
Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez said Sunday that at least 33 people had been rescued over the weekend.
The Virginia task force is among the several U.S. teams deployed to support the ongoing rescue operations in Venezuela. A senior U.S. administration official told CBS News that nearly 250 specialized civilian rescuers have been sent to Venezuela, along with aid aircraft, mobile hospitals and the USS Fort Lauderdale, an amphibious warship.
The Miami-based Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 2 is also conducting ground and aerial damage assessments in affected areas. The Los Angeles County Fire Department said 71 Los Angeles-based personnel are part of that deployment.
Answering the Call
USA-2 international #USAR team members, including 71 members & six K9 teams from the #LACoFD, @LACoPublicWorks & @WeAreLAHealth are en route to Venezuela.
We are proud & thankful to represent the U.S. on this mission, bringing our expertise & compassion to… pic.twitter.com/ssNMMuc11g
— LACoFD (@LACOFD) June 26, 2026
The U.S. announced this week that it is providing $150 million in emergency aid to support international relief efforts in Venezuela.
