Dayana Patino Rescued From La Guaira Earthquake Rubble With Newborn Juan David

A mother, Dayana Patino, and her 18-day-old baby, Juan David, were pulled from the rubble of their home in La Guaira after surviving 32 hours following the earthquake that struck Venezuela on Wednesday night.

“- Published A mother who was pulled from the rubble of her wrecked home in Venezuela with her 18-day-old baby has told the BBC of how her son helped keep her alive”

BBC

Patino told the BBC that her son, Juan David, gave her "motivation to be awake and alert," and she said, "Every now and then, I was touching his nose for proof that he was still breathing."

BBC

She described being trapped after the building collapsed, saying, "I felt like I was flying," before she fell into the pit where she remained with her infant.

Her husband, Gerson, told the BBC that the rescue was "a miracle," after he had feared both he and Patino had perished when their apartment building came down.

Patino and her baby were rushed to a hospital in Caracas, where Patino was recovering from injuries to both her legs and Juan suffered only minor injuries.

The BBC said the twin earthquakes hit Venezuela on Wednesday, killing at least 1,450 people and leaving tens of thousands more missing, as search efforts continued but hopes diminished.

The Mirror put the confirmed death toll at 1,450 and said more than 46,600 people remained unaccounted for amid widespread structural collapses.

Mirror

The Mirror said the United Nations estimates the disaster caused between $4.7 billion (£3.5billion) and $8.7 billion (£6.6billion) in economic damage, representing roughly 4% to 8% of Venezuela's GDP.

The Mirror also reported that more than 12,700 residents have been displaced, while international search-and-rescue teams from the US, South America, Britain and across the world continued navigating the ruins amid over 130 recorded aftershocks.

In Caracas, the BBC reported that Patino spoke at a clinic on Sunday about the hours underground, holding her tiny son close and praying they would be saved.

The BBC described how Patino said she instantly rushed to cradle her son in her eighth-floor apartment in La Guaira, thinking it would be "only a light tremor," before she realized no one could hear her.

“A mom who was pulled from the rubble of her Venezuelan home recounted how she stayed alive for 32 hours to ensure her 18-day-old baby would survive following the devastating earthquake”

New York Post

She told the BBC she managed her fear by conserving energy, saying, "I said to myself I'm not going to waste my energy - I'm going to scream when it's needed, when I hear voices or steps nearby."

Gerson told the BBC that when he saw his son after the rescue, "I felt the life come back to me," and he said their home was destroyed along with all their possessions.

The New York Post reported that the family lost everything in the earthquake, which claimed the lives of more than 1,700 people in Venezuela, and said more than 5,000 others were injured according to National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez.

Despite the devastation, Gerson promised they would "begin from scratch" and rebuild, while search efforts continued and the BBC said hopes were diminishing for more survivors.