Former New York Mets pitcher Jenrry Mejia says what he believes was “divine intervention” kept him alive as consecutive earthquakes struck Venezuela, disasters that have killed more than 200 people.
Mejia appeared in 113 games for the Mets over two stints, first in 2010 and then from 2012 through 2015. He received a lifetime ban in 2016 following a third positive test for a prohibited steroid, though MLB commissioner Rob Manfred later reinstated him after he completed the minimum two-year suspension.
The 36-year-old, who also had a brief spell with the Boston Red Sox organization, had just wrapped up a workout at a hotel in La Guaira, about 15 miles north of Caracas, on Wednesday and was heading back to his room when the tremors began.
Instead of carrying him up to the sixth floor, however, the elevator unexpectedly descended to the ground level after another hotel guest summoned it.
“I was in the gym area. And at that moment, I took the elevator to leave,” Mejia said, according to Dominican newspaper Diario Libre.
“In fact, I had pressed number six, which was where my floor was. But… I think it was God because instead of going up, it went down to the basement.”
Former Mets pitcher Jenrry Mejia says he survived the back-to-back earthquakes in Venezuela thanks to what he called “divine intervention”
Rescuers fear thousands may be trapped beneath collapsed buildings after two major earthquakes hit Venezuela
‘The door opened directly into the lobby. That’s when I came out and the building started to collapse,’ he continued.
Mejia, who now pitches for Venezuelan Major League team La Guaira Delfines, even helped an elderly man to safety. He claimed they were the only two who survived the deadly destruction.
‘With the agility I have, I helped an elderly gentleman. I was able to drag him away, take him with me,’ Mejia continued.
‘I think only he and I (came out alive), the others are still there, trapped under the rubble.’
Mejia lost all of his possessions in the earthquakes and couldn’t fly home to the Dominican Republic because his passport is missing and flights are suspended.
Thousands are feared to be buried alive beneath the rubble after the powerful earthquakes struck on Wednesday night, with officials fearing the death toll could rise dramatically.
The official death toll rose to around 235 late Thursday, with at least 4,300 people injured, Venezuela Health Minister Carlos Alvarado told state media.
The number of casualties is expected to climb with thousands reported missing and frantic rescue efforts continuing.
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The 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that struck were among the strongest in Venezuela in more than a century and were felt throughout the region.
The 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that struck were among the strongest in Venezuela in more than a century
Rescue workers and volunteers search through the rubble of a collapsed building in Caracas
Rescue workers work at the scene in an earthquake-affected area of Caracas, Venezuela
The injured were pulled out covered in dust and blood, among them children and animals.
The coastal region of La Guaira, north of the capital Caracas, suffered some of the heaviest damage and casualties.
The country’s main airport is there and was closed due to damage, complicating aid efforts.
Many were stunned Thursday morning as they saw buildings reduced to skeletons, furniture hanging out of windows and helicopters circling overhead. Buildings were flattened and streets cracked open.
Families posted missing-person flyers with photos of loved ones while others shared handwritten lists of names as they searched.
Venezuelans abroad struggled to make contact with relatives due to interrupted phone service in the country.
In downtown Caracas, hundreds spent the night huddled in parks, parking lots and other open spaces.
The natural disaster is the latest challenge for acting President Delcy Rodríguez, the former vice president who took office in January after Maduro’s capture.
Rodríguez declared a state of emergency in an address to the nation late Wednesday. She said the government was creating a $200 million reconstruction fund for damaged hospitals and homes.
