In a moment that cut through the noise of geopolitics, a baby was pulled alive from the wreckage of a collapsed building in Caracas last night. The rescue, broadcast globally, was aided by a British-developed ground-penetrating radar system that can detect human heartbeats through metres of concrete. The device, called 'VitalSight', was deployed by a UK rapid-response team working alongside Venezuelan civil defence crews. It is the first time this technology has been used in a Latin American disaster zone.
VitalSight works by emitting ultra-wideband radio waves that penetrate debris and reflect off subtle motions – even the rise and fall of a chest during shallow breathing. The algorithm then filters out environmental noise to isolate human vital signs. Its accuracy is striking: in tests, it has identified survivors with 97% reliability, even when buried under reinforced concrete. The baby, estimated to be under six months old, was located under a collapsed apartment block that had pancaked during a series of aftershocks following a 6.2 magnitude earthquake.
The rescue operation was a rare moment of international collaboration. British engineers from the non-profit 'Tech for Good' consortium flew in with three units of the radar system, along with structural engineers from the UK’s International Search and Rescue team. They worked alongside local volunteers who had been digging with hand tools. The baby was found in a pocket formed by a fallen beam and a mattress. A paramedic on the scene described the moment she was pulled out as “the reason we do this”.
But the story raises uncomfortable questions about access to such technology. VitalSight costs around £80,000 per unit, putting it out of reach for many disaster-prone nations. Venezuela, with its crumbling infrastructure and economic crisis, could not afford it. The UK team’s deployment was funded by a private foundation. This is the classic ‘tech inequality’ trap: the most vulnerable are often the last to benefit from innovation. The developers at Tech for Good are now working on an open-source version that could be 3D-printed on site using local materials. But that is months away.
There is also the data privacy angle. These radar units capture biometric data – heart rate, breathing patterns – which could be misused if stored or transmitted carelessly. The UK team assured that all data is processed locally and deleted once a person is extricated. But in a country with a history of surveillance, trust is fragile. The Venezuelan government has not yet commented on whether it will seek to keep the units after the rescue phase.
For now, the focus is on the survivor. The baby is in critical but stable condition, being treated in a field hospital. Her name has not been released. The search continues for others trapped beneath the rubble. As of this morning, 23 people have been confirmed dead and over 150 are missing. The British team has extended its stay by three days.
This is a story of technological triumph and human fragility. It reminds us that innovation is only as good as its deployment. And that the most profound user experience is the feeling of a heartbeat detected through blocks of stone.
