Veteran volunteer digs for survivors after Colombia quake
Tweet
Share
E-mail
Volunteer rescuer Julio Cesar Pineda looks on as rescuers work at the site of a building damaged in an earthquake, in Pereira, Colombia, August 12, 2026. REUTERS/Juan David Duque
By Nelson Bocanegra
PEREIRA, Colombia, Aug 13 (Reuters) - With his lean, sinewy frame, and standing just over 5 feet (1.6 meters) tall, Julio Cesar Pineda feels he was destined for the work of burrowing into the debris of shattered buildings to find survivors — first when a quake hit his native Colombia in 1999, and again just this week.
His efforts have won him a nickname: "Rescate" ('Rescue').
When Monday's 7.4-magnitude earthquake pummeled western Colombia, the 67-year-old was at home, near the city of Pereira, in the country's coffee-growing region that was close to the epicenter of the disaster. A wall in his house collapsed, but Pineda was unhurt and decided to help those who might have been less fortunate.
"All I did was grab some gloves ... grab a helmet, and go save lives," Pineda told Reuters.
Thousands of civilians have joined government-deployed emergency teams to aid rescue efforts across the region, working with their hands to remove heavy pieces of concrete and twisted bars of metal. At least 273 people were confirmed dead as of Thursday, with 377 others missing.
The scene in Pereira looked as if buildings had been bombed, Pineda said, adding that he had helped rescue both people and dogs.
Pineda was also a volunteer rescuer after the 1999 earthquake in the nearby city of Armenia, in which more than 1,000 people were killed. He makes a living from carving and sculpting handicrafts.
"I'm not the kind of man who does heroic things," he said. "God puts me at his disposal to try and do a little bit."
(Reporting by Nelson Bocanegra, Writing by Daina Beth Solomon; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
Serious News for Serious Traders! Try StreetInsider.com Premium Free!
You May Also Be Interested In
- Vietnam approves customs law changes to strengthen IP enforcement
- Germany's Merz to press cabinet for faster pro-growth reforms
- Search continues for 22 after bulk carrier sinks off India
Create E-mail Alert Related Categories
ReutersSign up for StreetInsider Free!
Receive full access to all new and archived articles, unlimited portfolio tracking, e-mail alerts, custom newswires and RSS feeds - and more!
