In a remarkable and heartwarming story, four children from an Indigenous community in Colombia have been discovered alive after surviving for over a month in the dense jungle.
President Gustavo Petro shared the incredible news, revealing that the siblings were found near the border between Colombia’s Caqueta and Guaviare provinces, close to where their plane had crashed.
Despite the hardships they faced, the children managed to stay alive, although they appeared thin and exhausted in the photos. They have been rescued by the military and are currently being evaluated by doctors. Plans are underway to transport them to the town of San Jose del Guaviare, where they will receive further medical treatment in Bogota, the capital, according to Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez.
The kids belong to the Huitoto community, and authorities mentioned that the older siblings had some understanding of how to manage in the rainforest and stay alive.
The Cessna 206 plane they were traveling in crashed during a journey from Araracuara to San Jose del Guaviare on May 1. The impact of the crash was survived by four children, with ages of 13, 9, and 4, along with a baby who is now 12 months old.
Tragically, the plane crash resulted in the loss of two lives: the pilot, Hernando Murcia Morales, and Yarupari indigenous leader, Herman Mendoza Hernández.
President Petro commended the children’s remarkable resilience and survival instincts, attributing their ability to their upbringing in indigenous families and knowledge of living in the jungle. He described their survival as a testament to their strength and expressed pride in their achievement. The children’s story has captured the world’s attention, with Petro emphasizing that their survival will be remembered as a ‘significant moment’ in history.
Their disappearance had triggered an extensive search operation involving over a hundred specially trained Colombian forces and more than 70 indigenous scouts. The discovery of the children brings hope and relief to their community and the entire country, celebrating their safe
return after enduring a challenging ordeal in the Amazon jungle.