Marbella firefighters honoured after earthquake rescue mission in Venezuela

Marbella

The three emergency workers spent six days supporting international search and rescue efforts in La Guaira, where they worked alongside a rescue dog in challenging conditions

José Rodríguez Cámara

Marbella

Three firefighters received a hero's welcome at Marbella town hall after returning from Venezuela, where they took part in search and rescue operations following ... a series of earthquakes that devastated several parts of the country.

José Luis Rubio, Antonio Medina and Francisco Macías, who are members of the organisation Bomberos por el Mundo (Firefighters for the World), formed part of an international response team sent to support communities affected by the disaster.

Corporal José Luis Rubio said the team spent six days in Venezuela, including four days carrying out intensive work on the ground. "We found ourselves facing a very complex situation and enormous devastation," he said.

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He explained that the operation was focused mainly on La Guaira, one of the areas worst affected by the earthquakes, where numerous buildings had completely collapsed.

"It was a tourist area where many families were spending their holidays and the scene was heartbreaking," he said.

The mayor, Ángeles Muñoz, praised the commitment shown by the three firefighters, who travelled with a rescue dog as part of the mission.

"It is a real source of pride for Marbella and for our fire brigade that, as always and with complete solidarity and professionalism, they are ready to go wherever a tragedy requires immediate help," she said.

She added that travelling to Venezuela "wasn't a simple or direct journey" and said the team’s only priority had been to support the local authorities and the international organisation coordinating the emergency response.

Return home

Muñoz said the firefighters had worked "in extremely difficult conditions", both because of logistical challenges and the lack of available resources.

"They slept close to the areas where they were working and operated practically day and night throughout the mission," she said, adding that the return home had also been difficult.

"Returning to normality after witnessing such dramatic situations isn't easy," she said.