Faint cry from rubble saves baby after Colombia earthquake

Hearing a faint cry from beneath concrete rubble, Brian Osorio and volunteers used their bare hands to clear debris and rescue a 6-month-old boy and a man.

When a 7,4 magnitude earthquake devastated western Colombia on 10/8, Brian Osorio Zuluaga was working at his office in Cali. He quickly rode his motorcycle home, but stopped upon seeing the 5-story La Torres del Limonar apartment building collapse.

Residents fled into the streets in panic. "Some were still in their pajamas, some cried, others were stunned," he recalled.

Despite the risk of gas leaks, Osorio approached the rubble, shouting for survivors. When he signaled for silence, a faint sound emerged from deep below.

"Yes, I'm here. I'm with a baby," a man replied.

A 6-month-old baby is pulled from the rubble after the earthquake in Cali, Colombia, on 10/8. *Video: Facebook/Brian Osorio Zuluaga*

Immediately, Osorio and other residents began clearing debris with their bare hands. They faced difficulty when a large concrete slab blocked their access.

"On the first attempt, we couldn't lift it," he said. "Then, we all shouted 'one, two, three' and lifted it."

Fearing more people were trapped below and the concrete slab was too heavy to move completely, the volunteers used their collective strength to lift and hold it, allowing others to clear a path toward the baby.

"You could see the baby's tiny head; it looked a bit purple because the baby wasn't breathing," Osorio said. "As we cleared the rubble, the baby began to breathe and regain color."

Video footage recorded by Osorio shows the 6-month-old boy, dressed in a dust-covered romper, being brought out safely. Beneath him, a man with a bleeding arm lay on his side, half-trapped under the concrete. Osorio quickly handed the baby to a police officer for transfer to an ambulance, then rejoined others to rescue the man.

He stated that the courage and timely coordination of strangers created a miracle.

"Unity is strength," he shared, "because no individual could have lifted that concrete slab alone; it was too large and heavy. It is better to act than to stand still. Every bit of help counts."

Area affected by the earthquake in Colombia. *Graphic: CNN*

By early morning on 12/8, search and rescue operations across Colombia had entered their third day. The earthquake, which struck the heart of the nation's coffee-growing region, killed over 200 people and injured nearly 3,000.

World leaders consistently offered support. Kaja Kallas, the European Union's (EU) foreign policy representative, stated that the organization activated its Copernicus satellite service and provided emergency funding.