Argentine footballer, Lucas Trejo, has lost his wife and two children following the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela last week.
Trejo, who plays for Venezuelan second-division club Club Sport Marítimo La Guaira, had spent three days searching through the rubble for his wife, Yanina, and their children, Aarón and Ainhoa, after the earthquakes destroyed their home in La Guaira.
The Venezuela earthquake, described by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) as a rare “doublet” because two major tremors struck just 39 seconds apart, are the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century. Authorities say more than 1,400 people have died, while thousands remain missing.
Trejo, 38, was attending a training camp with his club in Caracas when the Venezuela earthquake struck.
He immediately travelled to La Guaira, about 18 miles north of the capital, where his family lived.
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Speaking to CNN Español before the family’s deaths were confirmed, Trejo’s brother-in-law, Ricardo Ardiles, said the player was “emotionally overwhelmed” and that “absolutely nothing” remained of the family’s beachfront home.
“What he found was a horrific scene. He found absolutely nothing of what the building itself had been. Our hope is that they weren’t in there,” Ardiles said.
Trejo searched through the debris while appealing for heavy machinery to assist rescue efforts. Friends and teammates also released a video calling for additional equipment.
“Right now we only have one machine, but it’s not enough,” said Robert Garcés, who plays for Venezuela’s Metropolitanos F.C.
The search ended in tragedy when Club Sport Marítimo La Guaira confirmed the deaths of Trejo’s family in a statement shared on social media.
The club said it “deeply mourns the irreparable loss” of Trejo’s family, posting a photograph of the footballer with his wife and children.
“Lucas, you are not alone. Your family at Maritime La Guaira is with you,” the club said.
The disaster has also affected other members of Venezuela’s football community.
Promising young footballer Yimvert Berroteran was among those who died, according to the Venezuelan national team and the Venezuelan Football Federation (FVF).
The 18-year-old represented Venezuela at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Doha and had recently featured for the country’s U-20 national team.
(CNN)
