The four children who have been missing for over a month after a plane crash in the Colombian part of the Amazon rainforest have been found alive.
– They were alone, they managed it on their own. An example of survival that will go down in history, says Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
It was early in the morning on May 1 that the plane crashed in the Amazon rainforest in southeastern Colombia. On board the plane were the four children, 13, 9, 4 and 1 years old, together with their mother, a leader from the family’s village and the pilot.
The three adults were found dead when the plane was located two weeks later but the four siblings were missing without a trace – until now.
Found by the military
On Friday came the happy news that the military found the siblings alive.
– They are weak. Now the doctors must be allowed to examine them, said President Petro later during a press conference in Bogotá, reports the Reuters news agency.
Since the children disappeared, several hundred soldiers and volunteers have participated in the search. They have also used airplanes and helicopters, and from the air they have dropped several thousand leaflets over the area with, among other things, survival tips.
During the search operation, which was made difficult by the dense forest and difficult terrain, they found, among other things, a pair of shoes, a diaper and half-eaten fruit – something that convinced the military that the children were still alive.
A joy for the whole country! writes President Gustavo Petro on Twitter
A joy for the whole country! writes President Gustavo Petro on Twitter
The children’s grandfather: Very happy
The siblings, who belong to the Colombian indigenous Huitoto people, learned to hunt and fish at an early age – something that increased their chances of survival in the jungle.
According to the children’s grandfather, Narcizo Mucutuy, his grandson must have been well acquainted with the jungle.
– As the grandfather of my grandchildren, who disappeared in the Yaris jungle, I am very happy at this moment, he told reporters when contacted by the news, reports Reuters.
The siblings survived in the jungle for 40 days.