The children, aged 13, 9, 4, and 11 months, spent a grueling 40 days wandering through the rainforest before Colombian soldiers found them alive.
Four Indigenous children have been rescued from the Colombian jungle after surviving a plane crash that claimed the lives of three adults
The rescue operation brought a joyful conclusion to an intense search effort. The children, who belong to an Indigenous group residing in the remote region, were discovered with signs of dehydration and insect bites. They were airlifted by helicopter to a military hospital in the capital city, Bogota, where they received medical treatment. Despite their ordeal, they were reported to be in relatively good health.
President Gustavo Petro, who hailed their rescue as a remarkable feat of survival, returned from Cuba, where he had signed a cease-fire agreement with the National Liberation Army rebel group. He expressed his intention to meet with the children, referring to them as an inspiring example of the nation’s history.
Details surrounding how the children managed to endure their time in the jungle remain unknown. During the search operation, the military dropped food supplies into the dense rainforest while helicopters scoured the area. In an effort to guide the children, rescuers utilized loudspeakers playing a message recorded by their grandmother, urging them to stay in one place.
The Cessna single-engine plane carrying the children and their mother had declared an emergency due to engine failure on May 1
Although the wreckage and the bodies of the adults were discovered on May 16, the children were not found until much later, prompting an intensified search effort.
The successful rescue brought relief and celebration, with soldiers and volunteers posing for photos with the children, who were wrapped in thermal blankets. President Petro attributed their survival to the jungle itself, considering them now not only children of the jungle but also children of Colombia. The story of their remarkable endurance is set to become a significant part of the country’s history.
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