Miracle Plane Crash Survival: Four Colombian Children Found Alive in Jungle 5 Weeks Later

Four children from a local community in Colombia were discovered alive in the country’s southern region, more than five weeks after the plane they were traveling in crashed in the dense jungle.

Jungle forest in Colombia – illustrative photo. Image credit: Datingscout via Unsplash, free license

The military successfully rescued the siblings near the border of Colombia’s Caqueta and Guaviare provinces, close to the crash site of the small plane. The news about the rescue was announced by Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro.

The Cessna 206 aircraft was carrying seven individuals on a journey between Araracuara airport in Caqueta province and San Jose del Guaviare city in Guaviare province. The plane issued a distress signal on May 1 due to engine failure.

Unfortunately, three adults, including the pilot and the children’s mother Magdalena Mucutuy, lost their lives in the crash, and their bodies were discovered inside the wreckage. However, the four siblings, aged 13, 9, 4, and a 12-month-old baby, miraculously survived the impact.

Rescue teams, aided by search dogs, had previously found discarded fruit that the children had consumed as food, as well as self-made shelters crafted from jungle vegetation.

The rescue operations involved the participation of airplanes and helicopters from Colombia’s army and air force.

Written by Vytautas Valinskas