After enduring 40 days alone, four children who went missing following a plane crash in Colombia have been discovered alive and successfully rescued.
In a remote area of the Amazon jungle in Colombia, four children, with ages ranging from just 11 months to 13 years old, were discovered after surviving storms, evading dangerous animals and avoiding encounters with rebel soldiers.
The children had been passengers on a plane that crashed on May 1, resulting in the loss of their mother and two other adults. Miraculously, the children managed to endure and remain alive despite the tragic incident.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro made a statement saying, “They’ve given us an example of total survival that will go down in history. A joy for the whole country!”
Petro continued, “Their learning from indigenous families and their learning of living in the jungle has saved them. They are children of the jungle, and now they are children of Colombia.”
Children found alive after 40 days in the jungle, post a plane crash where all the 3 adults died.
This is the kind of hope we need. Children are extremely resilient pic.twitter.com/pXmGmcomCx
— Amitabh Verma (@amitabh26) June 10, 2023
Among the children who were successfully rescued were Lesly Jacobombaire Mucutuy, 13, Soleiny Jacobombaire Mucutuy, 9, Tien Ranoque Mucutuy, 4, and Cristin Ranoque Mucutuy, who was just 11 months old.
Following a distress call from the pilot of the crashed plane, rescuers were dispatched due to engine failure. Tragically, the bodies of the adults were discovered by the rescuers. However, the children were nowhere to be found, with only footprints and other subtle indications of their presence remaining, offering hope that they were still alive.
In the aftermath of the crash, a dedicated team scoured an extensive jungle area spanning approximately 125 square miles. The team consisted of 150 soldiers and 200 local individuals.
Brigadier General Pedro Sanchez said, “This isn’t a needle in a haystack; it’s a tiny flea in a rug because they keep moving. But if God forbid they were dead, we would have already found them because they would be still.”
Prior to finding the children, Sanchez expressed confidence, stating that he had a “100% expectation” that his team would successfully rescue them.
On Friday, rescuers were filled with relief as they stumbled upon footprints that ultimately guided them to the location of the children.
The children were swiftly airlifted to a nearby hospital to receive medical care and treatment.
