Corporal 1 Evelyn Saldías was on night duty, leading a patrol that carried out preventive tours on Route 5 South between Collipulli and Ercilla, along with Corporal 2 Camilo Retamal and Carabinero Julio Bravo. “As a mother’s instinct, the first thing I did was to cooperate with the child,” she said.
“It was the most beautiful thing in the tragedy.” With these words, the father of the 9-year-old minor who was shot in the middle of an arson attack on Friday night on the road that connects Collipulli and Angol, acknowledged and thanked 1st Corporal Evelyn Saldías Garrido and her patrol, for giving them support and containment in the difficult moments they had to live: “they (Carabineros) were with us at all times.”
“I have nothing to say about the Carabineros, at no time did they leave us alone. An acknowledgment, a hug, a big thank you to Corporal 1 ° Saldías who accompanied us all night, held us back along with two more Carabineros “, he commented a little calmer while waiting for the operation to which his daughter will be subjected in the Hernán Henríquez Regional Hospital, in the city of Temuco, where her daughter was finally referred.
However, and in the midst of the sad situation, the courage and greatness of this father is evident, who rescues how positive and fortunate was the meeting of his family with the 1st Corporal Evelyn Saldías patrol at the time when he was most they needed: “she told us that as a mother it was impossible that she could leave us alone (…) that would be the most beautiful thing in all this tragedy”.
The unfortunate event occurred at km. 8 of Route 182, when the father of the family guided his truck to Collipulli in the company of his wife and daughter, at which point they are intercepted by armed hooded men, who shoot them and force them to flee and then burn the cabin of the cargo vehicle .
Corporal 1 Evelyn Saldías, was on night duty, leading a patrol that carried out preventive tours of Route 5 South between Collipulli and Ercilla, along with Corporal 2 Camilo Retamal and Carabinero Julio Bravo.
“We went to the place, we realized that there was a road block, a fire and three people who ran towards us… it was a man, a woman and a minor. As a mother’s instinct, the first thing I did was to cooperate with the minor to transfer her to the Collipulli Hospital, ”recalled Corporal 1 ° Saldías.
She adds that when she got off the police vehicle, “she tells me that her back hurts, we lifted her clothes and she had a wound on the right side of her back. I asked to be treated immediately and she went to the doctor and it was indeed a serious injury ”.
“At no time were they left alone, they were given the necessary cooperation and the main thing, tranquility. When they were with the police they were calmer, we told them that nothing bad could happen to them while they were with us. The father thanked us because we were with them, and as a mother my goal was to help the minor.
A different story starring a Chilean Carabineros patrol and this family, which emerges in the midst of a tragedy that received the transversal rejection of society, but that leaves a hopeful testimony of love and affection translated into concern, protection and Containment delivered by Corporal 1 Evelyn Saldías to the victims.
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