Argentine soccer player Lucas Trejo is mourning the death of his wife and children after a 74-hour search to find them following the Venezuela earthquakes ended in tragedy.
Trejo, 38, had been desperately hoping for good news about his missing family but they were discovered dead on Saturday night, according to a friend of the family and fellow soccer player Edson Tortolero.
Trejo's Venezuelan soccer team, Maritimo de la Guaira, then confirmed the news in a short statement, saying, “Club Sport Maritimo La Guaira deeply mourns the loss suffered by Lucas Trejo's family; we ask for respect for his relatives and teammates. After a 74-hour search, they were found deceased.”
Tortolero released a statement on social media on Saturday night, saying, “We inform all the people of Venezuela and Argentina that the bodies of Lucas Trejo's family members have been found lifeless. 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 has not yet commented publicly but hours before they were found, he shared a family picture of him with his wife and children on his own social media account.
Reports in Argentina said his father and brother had flown to Venezuela to help him try and find his missing family.
His wife, Yana, had posted an emotional tribute message to Trejo on his birthday in April.
She said, “It's a blessing for us as a family to have you and to move forward together in our shared purpose! With you, everything is always easier and more beautiful.”
Rescue efforts to find survivors from Wednesday's devastating rare 7.2 and 7.5 double-earthquake have been intensifying with nearly 70,000 people reported missing.
Earlier on Saturday, Venezuelan former Major League Baseball player Gorkys Hernandez said his wife Deisy had died in the earthquake.
Reports in Venezuela have said that Deisy was in a luxury hotel with family members of other players on Hernandez's La Guaira Delfines baseball team when the earthquakes struck.
