After clawing through earthquake rubble in search of his wife and two children, Argentine footballer Lucas Trejo is now being sedated after finding what his family described as a “horrific scene.“
Lucas Trejo, 38, who plays for Venezuelan second-division club Sport Marítimo La Guaira, has been left devastated after his wife, Yanina Maranella, and their two children, Aarón and Ainhoa, 7 and 5, were killed when the earthquakes hit their home in late June.
The earthquakes, described by the U.S. Geological Survey as a rare “doublet,” struck just 39 seconds apart, with a magnitude 7.2 quake followed by a magnitude 7.5, making them the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century.
The back-to-back quakes crumbled buildings across Caracas and surrounding regions, but officials said La Guaira, on Venezuela’s northern coast, was among the areas devastated most severely.
According to ABC News, authorities say approximately 2,295 people have died, more than 11,267 have suffered injuries and nearly 50,000 people are still missing as the death toll continues to rise.
‘Horrific scene’
Trejo was at a team training camp in Caracas when the earthquakes struck, according to CNN Español.
After learning that La Guaira, about 18 miles north of the capital, had been badly hit, he rushed back to the beachfront area where his family had been living.
His brother-in-law, Ricardo Ardiles, told the outlet that almost nothing remained of the family’s home.
“What he found was a horrific scene. He found absolutely nothing of what the building itself had been,” Ardiles said, adding that Trejo was “emotionally overwhelmed.”
While rescue teams searched the wreckage, the footballer stayed near the ruins, “clearing rubble,” desperate for any sign of his wife and children.
His sister, Karen Trejo, later told Argentine television program El Doce that the family had barely been able to reach him during those days.
“We only spoke with Lucas once during this time,” Karen told the outlet. “Lucas never had access to his phone because he was busy clearing rubble, and we couldn’t reach him.”
For nearly 74 hours, Trejo held onto the hope that Yanina, Aarón and Ainhoa would be found alive.
That hope ended when rescue crews located their bodies beneath the remains of the building where they had lived.
‘Sedated’ and ‘very ill’
Karen said much of the family’s information came through a group chat that included Lucas’ teammates and close friends, who were helping coordinate rescue logistics.
“That same group, they informed us that they had found the three bodies,” she said.
Since then, Karen said her brother has remained hospitalized and under medical supervision because of the immense emotional trauma he has suffered.
“Lucas is being sedated because he’s very ill,” she said, describing his distress.
She explained that Lucas is currently not in a condition to handle the necessary procedures or return to Argentina on his own.
“They have to give him the bodies of his wife and children,” she said.
Karen stressed the urgency of getting family members to Venezuela, saying Lucas should not have to face the next steps alone.
“We need them to travel as soon as possible because the bodies are scheduled to be cremated, and we need them to be with him,” she continued.
The disaster has affected several members of Venezuela’s football community, but Trejo’s loss has become one of the most heartbreaking stories to emerge from the tragedy.
Before passing this story along, please share your condolences to the loved ones of all the victims in the comment section below.
READ MORE
- 19-year-old twin siblings died by suicide on mountain, family confirms
- Shania Twain slammed over outfit and ‘cringe’ dance moves during opening for Harry Styles
