LA GUAIRA, Venezuela — Amid the crumbled buildings that now shape the city’s skyline, rescuers and families looking for missing loved ones have been tirelessly parsing through the rubble since Wednesday’s two devastating earthquakes hit in northern Venezuela.Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.Anguished relatives seeking loved ones know time is not on their side as they cling to hope that their loved ones can be found safe.For some, the good news started with a whisper — or a baby’s cry.On Thursday, a father stood in front of a collapsed apartment building here, shouting his adult son’s name over and over, searching for a sign he was still alive a day after the powerful quakes.The father, José Alberto Gallipoli, went down into the building’s crumbled basement to see if he could hear his son responding to his calls.“The scene was devastating,” Gallipoli said.
“I yelled out my son Jofram’s name with the last shred of faith I had left.”But then he heard a faint whisper.It was Jofram, still alive, alongside his wife and their 4-year-old son.People camp in an open space in La Guaira, Venezuela.Ana Vanessa Herrero for NBC NewsThe family had spent more than 24 hours trapped under the rubble of their seven-story apartment building.Gallipoli had been in Caracas, about 20 miles away, when the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude quakes rattled Venezuela less than a minute apart.
They were among the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century.Quickly after the ground stopped shaking, Gallipoli took off to La Guaira in search of his son, daughter-in-law and 4-year-old grandson.He went on foot to avoid issues with roads being blocked by debris.The building where Gallipoli's son and wife were trapped.
They had been able to let others know they were OK inside as Gallipolli pleaded for their rescue.Courtesy José Alberto GallipoliAs he parsed through the destruction where his family was burie...