A former Florida beauty queen has died after powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela last week, her family confirmed Monday. She was found beneath the rubble of her apartment building alongside her boyfriend.
Skarlent Rodríguez, 23, and her boyfriend, José Castro, had been missing for several days after their building collapsed in Catia La Mar, a hard-hit area in Venezuela’s La Guaira state, during one of the June 24 earthquakes, according to HOLA!.
After an extensive search-and-rescue operation, crews recovered the bodies of Rodríguez and Castro on Monday. Their families shared the news in an update posted to a joint GoFundMe page.
“Sadly, they were both found dead…side by side, together until the very end,” the devastated Rodríguez and Castro families wrote on the fundraiser.
“There are no words to describe the pain we are living,” the statement continued.
The tragedy also claimed the lives of several members of Castro’s family, including his father, grandmother, uncle and aunt, according to the fundraiser.
Rodríguez, a native of Venezuela, had recently begun drawing wider attention in the pageant world after being crowned Miss Grand Orlando in Florida last year.
Although she did not go on to win the Miss Grand Florida title, the 23-year-old had become a familiar presence in the pageant community and was recognized for her commitment to modeling and public appearances, HOLA! reported.
The Miss Grand Florida organization mourned the loss of the rising beauty queen on social media, reflecting on her “radiant smile, warm spirit, and unwavering positivity [that] touched everyone she encountered, both on and off the stage.”
“She will be remembered not only for her beauty and accomplishments but also for the way she uplifted others and carried herself with dignity and light,” the organization continued.
“Her legacy will continue to live on in the hearts of her fellow queens, judges, directors, and all members of the Miss Grand Florida family.”
Following the catastrophic earthquakes on June 24, Venezuelan authorities confirmed that at least 1,719 people have died, with some 5,000 more injured.
