The body of Juan Felipe Giraldo, 24, was recovered from the rubble of a collapsed hotel in Pereira, Colombia, on Friday, just two days before he was scheduled to marry Natalia Patiño, the mother of his two-year-old son. Giraldo had been in Pereira for a work trip when a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck on Monday, causing the Hotel Dibeni where he was staying to collapse.
Giraldo, an eyewear salesman, lived with Patiño and their son in the capital city of Bogotá. Patiño confirmed Giraldo's death on her Instagram story, writing, "Forever and always my heart, you were the most complete love I ever had. I love you forever."
Following the earthquake, Giraldo's father, Hernán Giraldo, traveled to Pereira and joined rescue teams in searching for his son. He expressed hope for a positive outcome, stating, "There is life, there are small signs of life, and if there is life there is hope."
Rescuers were reportedly able to narrow down Giraldo's location after he sent his fiancée a video before the disaster. Hernán Giraldo had told his son, "Son, I love you, on Sunday you are going to be getting married, and if not on Sunday, it will be in 8, 15 days, but you will be there, son."
The earthquake on Monday morning caused widespread devastation across Colombia. As of Saturday, the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) reported 294 deaths and 3,935 injuries. Over 300 people remain missing following the disaster.