Bogota, Colombia – Against all odds, four Indigenous children managed to survive a devastating plane crash in the Amazon, which tragically claimed the lives of three adults. Left to fend for themselves, these resilient youngsters braved the treacherous jungle for an astounding 40 days before Colombian soldiers finally discovered them alive and well.
The heartwarming conclusion to a captivating tale unfolded on Friday as four Indigenous children were discovered alive in the Amazon jungle after surviving a plane crash that claimed the lives of three adults. Following their harrowing ordeal, during which they navigated the wilderness for 40 days unaccompanied, Colombian soldiers located and rescued them.

President Gustavo Petro expressed his joy upon returning from Cuba, where he had recently negotiated a cease-fire with representatives of the National Liberation Army rebel group. He revealed his intention to meet with the children on Saturday, and officials confirmed that they were en route to a hospital in Bogota for evaluation.

In a remarkable air force video, a helicopter was seen employing lines to hoist the children to safety, as the dense rainforest made it impossible for a landing. As the aircraft departed in the fading light, it was disclosed that their destination was San Jose del Guaviare, a small town on the jungle's outskirts.

Specifics regarding how the four siblings, aged 13, 9, 4, and 11 months, managed to endure their solitary journey for such a prolonged period have not been disclosed. It is worth noting that they belong to an Indigenous community residing in the remote area.

President Petro hailed them as a symbol of resilience and predicted that their extraordinary tale would be etched into history.

The military shared photos on Twitter, showcasing a gathering of soldiers and volunteers with the children, who were swathed in thermal blankets. One of the soldiers attentively offered a bottle to the youngest child.

The plane crash occurred during the early hours of May 1 when a Cessna single-engine propeller aircraft, carrying six passengers and a pilot, declared an emergency as a result of an engine failure.

Shortly after the small aircraft vanished from radar, an intensive search operation was initiated in hopes of locating any survivors. Two weeks later, on May 16, a search team located the wreckage of the plane nestled within a dense section of the rainforest. Tragically, the bodies of the three adults who were aboard the aircraft were discovered, while the whereabouts of the young children remained unknown.

Driven by the possibility that the children might still be alive, the Colombian army escalated their efforts and deployed 150 soldiers equipped with search dogs to the area. Additionally, numerous volunteers from Indigenous tribes joined in the collective search mission.

In the midst of the search operation, where mist and thick foliage severely impeded visibility, soldiers aboard helicopters resorted to dropping food supplies in boxes into the jungle, hoping to sustain the children. At night, planes flew over the dense rainforest, firing flares to aid the ground search teams, while rescuers employed speakers to broadcast a recorded message from the siblings' grandmother, urging them to remain in one location.

Amidst circulating rumors regarding the children's whereabouts, on May 18, the president tweeted the news of their discovery. However, he swiftly deleted the message, citing misinformation from a government agency.

The group of four children, accompanied by their mother, were en route from the Amazonian village of Araracuara to San Jose del Guaviare when the plane tragically crashed. As members of the Huitoto people, officials noted that the older children possessed some knowledge of surviving in the rainforest.

Upon confirming the children's rescue, the president shared that, for a time, he believed they had been rescued by one of the nomadic tribes that inhabit the remote expanse of jungle where the plane went down, as these tribes have minimal contact with authorities. However, Petro added that the initial discovery of the children was made by one of the search dogs accompanying the soldiers into the jungle.

Officials did not disclose the exact distance between the children and the crash site when they were found. However, search teams had been scouring an approximate radius of 4.5 kilometers (nearly 3 miles) from the area where the small plane had descended into the forest floor.

As the search progressed, soldiers stumbled upon small indications in the jungle that led them to believe the children were still alive, such as footprints, a baby bottle, diapers, and partially eaten fruit that appeared to have been bitten by humans.

"The jungle saved them," remarked Petro. "They are children of the jungle, and now they are also children of Colombia."