After 40 days, the four children who were lost in the jungle in Colombia were miraculously found after a plane crash. Pamphlets of instructions, their grandmother’s voice, and a makeshift shelter may have helped the four siblings survive.
#General Giraldo: “The union of efforts made possible this joy for Colombia”
Glory to the soldiers of the @FuerzasMilColto the indigenous communities and institutions that were part of it #OperacionEsperanza” pic.twitter.com/LO3BPldLgD
– Fuerzas Militares de Colombia (@FuerzasMilCol) June 10, 2023
The children, aged between 11 months and 13 years, lived alone in the jungle with dense vegetation, trees reaching 40 meters in height, rain and the presence of jaguars, snakes and other dangerous animals.
“These kids were alone. They managed to do this alone. An absolute example of survival that will go down in history,” Colombian President Gustavo Petro told reporters.
According to the children’s grandparents, the eldest Lesly ensured the safety of her younger siblings and was knowledgeable about wildlife. Grandfather Fidencio Valencia told AFP that Lesly was a “very intelligent” child and able to lead his siblings through the woods. A bitten fruit found by the rescue team shows that the brothers’ knowledge of wild fruit may have helped them survive.
The rescue team, consisting of 160 soldiers and 70 indigenous people with deep knowledge of the jungle, found scissors, a hair elastic and parts of a shelter made by the children with sticks and branches.
“It was the wisdom of the indigenous families living in the jungle that saved them,” the president said.
To prevent the children from wandering further, the Air Force threw some 10,000 pamphlets into the forest with instructions in Spanish and the children’s indigenous language to stay where they were supposed to stay and with survival tips. The army even threw packages of food and water bottles into the jungle.
Through loudspeakers, the military sent messages in the native language of the indigenous people asking them to stop so that they could be located. A message recorded by the children’s grandmother was also broadcast.
The rescue team covered 2,656 kilometers during the search. Several soldiers and indigenous people had to be replaced during the operation due to the harsh climate and terrain. A sniffer dog that got lost during the searches remains missing
General Pedro Sánchez, the general in command of the search operations, insisted in recent weeks that the children were alive and close to the soldiers, although he admitted their journey was “incredible”, AFP says. “Miracle, miracle, miracle,” he said. “Today we had a magical day,” he added after they found the four brothers.
#General Giraldo: “The union of efforts made possible this joy for Colombia”
Glory to the soldiers of the @FuerzasMilColto the indigenous communities and institutions that were part of it #OperacionEsperanza” pic.twitter.com/LO3BPldLgD
– Fuerzas Militares de Colombia (@FuerzasMilCol) June 10, 2023
The four children were traveling with their mother and companion on a Cessna 206 plane, which crashed in the jungle in Colombia. The pilot reported problems with the plane’s engine before it disappeared from radars. The aircraft was found on May 8 among vegetation. The rescue team recovered three bodies: that of the pilot, that of the mother of the children and that of a leader of the indigenous community of Uitoto.
The brothers were the only survivors, who were found on Saturday.
According to the authorities, the group was fleeing threats from members of an armed group.
The four children are currently being treated in Bogotá and, despite being communicative, their prognosis is poor, according to the first official information. According to General Pedro Sánchez, the children have been transferred to the Military Hospital, “where they are being treated physically and psychologically”.
Source: DN
