After 40 days alone in the Colombian rainforest, the four missing siblings were found alive. Joining the search effort was the Belgian shepherd Wilson, who is said to have guided the children shortly before they were found. Now he himself is lost in the deep jungle, reports the newspaper El Colombiano.
On Friday, the Colombian military was able to announce that they had finally found the four siblings, who had been missing in the Amazon jungle after a plane crash, alive.
Since the children disappeared 40 days ago, several hundred soldiers and volunteers have participated in the search. Airplanes and helicopters have also assisted in the work, which was made more difficult by the tough and inaccessible terrain.
The herding dog Wilson was also involved in the search effort, which is said to have played a role in finding the children.
Lost in the jungle
Colonel Gustavo Narváez Orozco, who was involved in the search operation, tells the newspaper Semana that Wilson has a year and a half of experience in search and rescue operations. But on May 18, he allegedly got lost after being ordered to go deeper into the jungle.
Despite sightings of Wilson in the woods in recent days, he has yet to return, however footprints of him have been found along with those of the children – which is believed to be an indication that he found them before the military.
New search effort started
Orozco further says that a search operation has now been launched to find Wilson. He believes that he may have been spooked by predators in the jungle, and that’s why he hasn’t come back yet.
– There are crocodiles, jaguars and large snakes in the jungle – those animals can scare the dog and change his behavior.
According to Orozco, the military saw Wilson last Wednesday, but that they lost him again.
– But it still gives us great encouragement and hope to find him, he tells Semana.