By Daily Review Online
Argentine footballer Lucas Trejo has suffered a devastating personal loss after his wife and two children were confirmed among the victims of the powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela last week.
Trejo, who plays for Venezuelan second-division side Club Sport Marítimo La Guaira, spent several days desperately searching through the rubble of his collapsed family home in La Guaira, one of the areas worst affected by the disaster. His wife, Yanina, and their children, Aarón and Ainhoa, had been missing since the twin earthquakes struck.
The 38-year-old was attending a training camp in Caracas when the earthquakes occurred and immediately rushed home after learning of the destruction. Relatives, friends and teammates joined the rescue efforts, repeatedly appealing for heavy machinery to assist in the search.
On Sunday, Club Sport Marítimo La Guaira confirmed the heartbreaking news in a statement, expressing its condolences over the deaths of Trejo’s wife and children.
“Lucas, you are not alone. Your family at Maritime La Guaira is with you,” the club said while sharing a family photograph.
The earthquakes, described by the U.S. Geological Survey as a rare “doublet” because two powerful tremors struck just 39 seconds apart, have claimed more than 1,400 lives, with thousands of people still missing.
The disaster has also deeply affected Venezuela’s football community. Rising 18-year-old talent Yimvert Berroteran was among those killed, alongside young players Víctor Palacios and Razan Sijaa. In another tragedy, the partner of footballer Héctor Bello died while shielding their toddler during the quake.
Authorities continue search-and-rescue operations, although hopes of finding more survivors have diminished as the critical 72-hour rescue window has passed.