"Absolute Survival" Days after a plane crash, children are discovered alive in a forest

 The youngsters, who were indigenous to the Uitoto Indigenous community, had been lost in the bush since May 1, when the Cessna 206 in which they were flying crashed.

Indigenous children who had been missing for over a month in the Colombian Amazon rainforest after a plane crash have been discovered alive, according to President Gustavo Petro. 

The children, aged 13, nine, four, and one, were found weak but alive. A photo shared by the president on Twitter showed rescuers attending to the children, providing them with care and sustenance. 

The children, originally from the Huitoto Indigenous group, had been alone in the jungle since the plane crash on May 1.

 

The bodies of the pilot, the children's mother, and a local Indigenous leader were found at the crash site. The search for the children involved soldiers and Indigenous people with knowledge of the jungle, and ongoing clues led rescuers in the right direction. 

Flyers were dropped from the air with instructions for the children to stay put, survival tips, and food supplies. The military also broadcasted a message from the children's grandmother, urging them not to move. The children were found about five kilometers west of the crash site. 

President Petro described their survival as an extraordinary example of resilience and praised the coordination between the military and Indigenous communities during the search. 

The children were stabilized by army rescuers and were expected to be transferred to a hospital in Bogota for further medical assessment and treatment.