Adorable newborn baby boy wearing just a diaper is filmed being rescued from Venezuela earthquake rubble

By WILKO MARTÍNEZ-CACHERO, US REPORTER Published: 00:59, 1 July 2026 | Updated: 01:26, 1 July 2026 An adorable newborn boy wearing only a diaper was pulled from earthquake rubble in Venezuela as authorities continue to look for survivors following the natural disaster. Heartwarming footage revealed the moment 18–day–old Juan David and his mother, Dayana Patino, were saved from the destruction caused by the double earthquake that rocked the South American country.  Rescue workers could be seen swaddling the baby and placing the mother on a stretcher in the footage of their rescue.  Patino was cleaning her apartment on the eighth floor of a building in the northern region of La Guaira when the earthquakes hit, according to the BBC. Their building was completely destroyed.  Patino said her newborn baby gave her the 'motivation to be awake and alert.' 'As long as he was alive, I was going to be alive,' she told BBC while recovering at a clinic in Caracas. The mother also revealed how she would touch her son's nose while underneath the rubble 'for proof that he was still breathing.' Dayana Patino and her baby boy, Juan David, being tended to at a clinic in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. They were trapped underneath the rubble when earthquakes hit on Wednesday Juan David only sustained minor injuries after being trapped underneath the wreckage Juan David only sustained minor injuries, while Patino suffered injuries to both of her legs, according to the outlet. Patino said the moment she became trapped felt like she was 'flying.' After that, she explained: 'I felt like I was sinking in water and dirt, and then I fell into the pit where I remained.' She held onto her son when disaster struck. She now realizes that she doesn't know how she 'didn't let go' during the ordeal. 'I don't know how I kept so calm because my left leg was trapped under concrete,' Patino told the outlet. She said she could not move and added that her temple was 'pressed against a rock.' Though Patino immediately started screaming for help, she soon realized that it was futile and decided to not waste her energy. She was only able to see see a 'pinprick of light that looked like the moon' amid all the destruction. As of Monday, at least 1,719 people were confirmed to have died as a result of the earthquakes in northern Venezuela However, that figure is expected to keep rising as more bodies are recovered from the wreckage and subsequently identified by authorities The final death toll from the disaster could be more than 10,000, according to a projection shared by the US Geological Survey Patino was finally rescued when she heard her brother calling her name and she yelled out from underneath the wreckage. 'I screamed "Here I am" with all my might, and he said "I found you, and I promise you that I won't leave until I get you out,"' Patino said. Patino's husband, Gerson Trujillo, explained he had just arrived home when the earthquakes struck and feared for his family's life. Gerson, who can be seen in the footage of the heroic rescue, said his wife and son being rescued was a 'miracle.' 'It was indescribable,' he told the BBC. 'I thought they were dead. And when I saw my son I felt like I was born again.' 'I couldn't believe it, he added. 'I felt the life come back to me. The footage showed Gerson, shirtless and tearing up as he held his newly–saved baby boy. Authorities said that at least 5,034 people were injured were injured from the earthquakes. Approximately 15,900 have been displaced or affected by the disaster Roughly 680,000 children are estimated to need help as a result of the disaster The World Health Organization has warned that outbreaks of illnesses are possible in the area after the earthquake due to a shortage of health workers and preexisting low vaccinations Venezuelan authorities had confirmed 1,719 deaths due to the earthquakes as of Monday, according to the United Nations. The first earthquake was a magnitude 7.2, followed by a magnitude 7.5 about one minute later.  The death toll is expected to keep rising, as bodies are still being found and accounted for. In total, the final figure could be more than 10,000, according to a projection shared by the US Geological Survey cited by The New York Times. At least 5,034 people were injured, while nearly 15,900 were displaced or affected by the disaster. The World Health Organization has warned that outbreaks of measles, diphtheria, yellow fever, dengue, malaria and other illnesses are possible. That is both because of the destruction caused by the earthquake, leading to the deaths of health care workers, as well as the preexisting low vaccination coverage. About 680,000 children are estimated to need help because of the devastating earthquakes in northern Venezuela. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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