Lucas Gámez, Argentine Boy Trapped in Venezuela Rubble, Found Dead

After 14 days of searching, rescuers found the body of Lucas Gámez, a 9-year-old Argentine boy, in the rubble of the Residencias Miramar in La Guaira, Venezuela. The discovery ended a desperate search that had captivated international attention, marked by an emotional birthday celebration and a mother's plea for privacy.

The tragedy

Lucas was visiting his aunt and uncle on June 24 when two earthquakes struck. He was trapped when the building collapsed. Despite hopes fueled by geolocation of his phone and heat detection, his body was found on July 8 alongside his tíos and others Source: Clarín, El Nacional. Discrepancies exist over his age: some sources report him as 8 years old, while others note he turned 9 during the search Source: El Colombiano, La Voz.

The search

International teams from Brazil, El Salvador, and Venezuela joined Argentine rescuers in the effort Source: El Colombiano. A key breakthrough was the geolocation of Lucas's phone by specialist Taylor Villarreal, who identified its exact location even though it was off Source: La Voz. Nightly sound tests were conducted at 5 a.m. to detect any signs of life Source: Clarín. The mother, Blanca Martínez, faced criticism for posting updates and for celebrating his 9th birthday at the rubble with a cake. She announced she would leave social media, calling critics "people with dark souls" Source: Clarín.

The family's response

After the body was found, father Marcos Gámez said, "If God chose us for this tragedy, it is to send a message to the world," and urged others to keep faith Source: Infobae. He thanked rescuers and said the family planned to take Lucas's body to Caracas. He recalled that "Lucas spoke a lot about Jesus and God" Source: Infobae. The father also clarified that the family resides in Venezuela and Lucas was only visiting La Guaira for a day at the beach.