The wife and two children of Argentine soccer player Lucas Trejo were found dead on Saturday evening, bringing a tragic end to a 74-hour search effort following powerful earthquakes in Venezuela. Trejo, 38, had been awaiting news of his missing family after they were caught in the disaster.
Edson Tortolero, a friend of the family and fellow soccer player, announced the discovery on social media, stating that the bodies had been found. Club Sport Maritimo La Guaira, Trejo's Venezuelan team, issued a statement confirming the loss and requesting respect for the family's privacy.
"We inform all the people of Venezuela and Argentina that the bodies of Lucas Trejo's family members have been found lifeless," Tortolero wrote. "We thank everyone for the support and ask for the most sincere respect for his family at this time. WE PRAY FOR ETERNAL LIFE FOR THEM."
Trejo's father and brother reportedly traveled to Venezuela to assist in the search. Hours before the discovery, Trejo had shared a family photo on his social media.
Over 1,430 people have died as a result of the rare double-earthquake, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude, which struck Venezuela on Wednesday. Rescue efforts have been intensifying, with early reports indicating nearly 70,000 people were missing.
Earlier on Saturday, former Major League Baseball player Gorkys Hernandez confirmed the death of his wife, Deisy, in the earthquake. Reports suggest she was at a hotel with family members of other players from his team, the La Guaira Delfines, when the tremors hit.
"Queen of my life, you are and always will be the most beautiful, lovely, precious, the best woman in the world, the one who always found a way to lift me up in bad times," Hernandez wrote in tribute to his wife. "You were and are the most beautiful woman in my life. You will always be with me, at every hour and in every moment. Fly high, my princess, my queen. May God have you in his glory and guide me to keep going and lift up our family."