Jenry Mejia, a former pitcher for the Mets, has reflected on how he narrowly escaped a devastating earthquake that struck his hotel in Venezuela. He feels it was “divine intervention” that led him to the wrong floor just moments before the building collapsed, a disaster that claimed over 200 lives.
At 36, Mejia had just finished a workout at the Hotel Edouards in La Guaira when the earthquake shook the Caracas area. He recalled to a Dominican sports program that the quakes struck roughly every 39 seconds. When he got into the elevator, it mistakenly took him to the lobby instead of his room on the sixth floor.
“I was headed to my room, but I think it was meant to be, since the elevator went down instead of up,” Mejia noted. He exited the elevator just 40 seconds before the building crumbled.
As the door opened onto the lobby, he witnessed the building starting to fall. Mejia managed to pull an elderly man to safety and believed they were the only survivors among those trapped beneath the debris.
“I think he and I are the only ones who made it out,” he told the authorities. “I had to use my agility to help him escape.”
La Guaira, positioned about 24 miles from Caracas, was significantly affected by the earthquake. The Hotel Edouards was reportedly accommodating families connected to baseball teams at the time.
Reports have emerged about missing individuals, including the wife and daughter of former MLB player Eliezer Alfonso and the wife of Gokis Hernandez. Former minor leaguers Garcelle Pitre and Harold Chirinos also are looking for family members after the collapse.
Footage showed players from the Guerreros team in shock as they observed the destruction of the hotel. They stood in their uniforms, grappling with the reality of a tragic event unfolding before them.
The earthquake, a magnitude of 7.2, struck near San Felipe and was followed by a larger quake 39 seconds later, with a magnitude of 7.5. The toll of casualties has risen to at least 235, with over 1,500 others injured.
Mejia, who lost all his belongings in the collapse, shared his frustration, noting that he couldn’t return to the Dominican Republic as flights were grounded. He described the scene as chaotic and surreal.
As for his baseball career, Mejia pitched for the Mets between 2010 and 2015 but fell into controversy after a drug test in 2016 led to a lifetime ban, which was later reduced after a minimum suspension.
