Brighton Heights couple found safe in Chile
A Brighton Heights couple vacationing in Chile who were reported missing since Saturday's earthquake have been found, a family friend said today.
Rene and Peggy Urzua were found safe about 10 a.m., said Paulina Montaldo of Canfield, Ohio.
The couple most recently were in Curico, a city not far from the epicenter of the 8.8 magnitude earthquake, and are trying to get to Santiago, Montaldo said.
Rene Urzua, 67, left for his native country in mid-January, and his wife joined him at the beginning of February, Montaldo said. The retired couple travel to Chile each winter.
While reaching out to family and friends in Chile, members of Pittsburgh's Chilean community realized the two were missing. The Urzuas were visiting Rene's family in Santiago and drove to Curico on Friday, friends said.
Family and friends spent the weekend searching for word that the two were safe.
Rodolfo Vega of Squirrel Hill made contact with five friends near Curico and had hoped to circulate photos of the couple.
The city is badly damaged from the earthquake, he said.
"It's in the worst area," Vega said. "Whole buildings are down, friends tell me, and Rene and Peggy were there when the earthquake hit."
The couple met in 1968 while Peggy Urzua, now 69, was volunteering at the Chilean health department through the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Montaldo said. Rene Urzua moved to the United States in 1970, and the couple settled in Connecticut and later moved to eastern Pennsylvania. They settled in Brighton Heights in 1999 to be near Peggy Urzua's parents.
Peter Bellisario, a neighbor whose wife, Joan, is a lifelong friend of Peggy Urzua, said the two are "super good people." Peggy Urzua is a director of the Brighton Heights Citizens' Federation, of which Bellisario is president.
The Urzuas are active in both the Latino and Chilean communities of Pittsburgh, Vega said. Rene Urzua is a member of the Latin American Cultural Union and has danced at the Pittsburgh Folk Festival. Global Pittsburgh's Web site calls Rene Urzua one of "Pittsburgh Chilean community's pioneers," as he has gone to many local schools to teach students about Chilean culture.
He also is a founder of Copihue Chile, a folk performance troupe.
"They are very into public service and are very integrated and active," Vega said. "They love dancing and sharing Chilean and Latino culture."
Additional Information:
Checking on family
Several organizations, including Google, have developed online databases so users can put out a request for information on family and friends missing in Chile. For information on someone who is missing, visit: here or here
