When a devastating 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck Venezuela last week, one family’s survival story has emerged from the rubble with a remarkable detail. An 18-day-old infant spent more than 32 hours buried under collapsed building debris with his mother, emerging completely unharmed in what his family attributes to divine protection.
Dayana Patiño was in the middle of changing her newborn son Juan David’s diaper on the eighth floor of their apartment building when the powerful earthquake struck. As the floor crumbled beneath them, she clutched the baby tightly to her chest as they plummeted down with the collapsing structure.
Mother and infant trapped for over a day
The mother and son remained buried under the wreckage together for 32 hours. During their ordeal, rescue workers managed to provide water to the trapped infant by threading a straw through a narrow pipe that reached them beneath the debris.
“The one who gave me the strength not to fall into despair was my son,” Patiño said. She explained that she kept repeating to herself, “As long as he was alive, I was going to be alive.”
Her husband Gerson Trujillo was away from home when disaster struck. Upon learning what had happened, he rushed to the collapsed building and enlisted neighbors to assist in the excavation efforts to reach his wife and child.
Baby protected by family Bible
While Patiño sustained a broken knee and other significant injuries, Juan David emerged from the ordeal completely unscathed. The family credits this miraculous outcome to landing on their Bible when the building collapsed. According to the family’s account, among all the items in their apartment, the holy book ended up positioned directly beneath the infant, cushioning him from harm.
The survival of such a fragile newborn under these extreme circumstances has drawn attention to the seemingly impossible nature of their rescue. At just over two weeks old, infants are extraordinarily vulnerable, making the baby’s uninjured state all the more extraordinary to those following the story.
Emergency response teams continue their around-the-clock efforts throughout Venezuela searching for survivors and recovering victims from the earthquake’s destruction. Multiple families remain waiting for information about missing loved ones.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” Isaiah 43:2
