In this photo released by the Colombian Armed Forces Press Office, a soldier stands in front of the wreckage of a Cessna C206, May 18, 2023, which crashed in the Solano forest in the Colombian state of Caqueta. The discovery on May 30 of a small foot has rekindled hopes of finding the children alive after their plane crashed on May 1.
Colombian Armed Forces Press Office via AP
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Colombian Armed Forces Press Office via AP
In this photo released by the Colombian Armed Forces Press Office, a soldier stands in front of the wreckage of a Cessna C206, May 18, 2023, which crashed in the Solano forest in the Colombian state of Caqueta. The discovery on May 30 of a small foot has rekindled hopes of finding the children alive after their plane crashed on May 1.
Colombian Armed Forces Press Office via AP
BOGOTA, Colombia — Four Aboriginal children who disappeared 40 days ago after surviving a small plane crash in the Amazon jungle have been found alive, Colombian authorities announced Friday, ending a nationwide search.
President Gustavo Petro told reporters on his return to Bogota from Cuba, where he signed a truce with representatives of the rebel group National Liberation Army, the children were left alone as searchers found them and is currently receiving medical attention.
The president said young people were an “example of survival” and predicted their stories “will go down in history.”
The accident happened at dawn on May 1, when a single-engine Cessna turboprop plane carrying seven passengers and a pilot declared an emergency due to engine failure.
The small plane disappeared from radar a short time later and a frantic search for survivors began. Three adults were killed and their bodies were found in the area.
In this photo released by the Colombian Armed Forces Press Office, soldiers and natives face four indigenous brothers.
Colombian Armed Forces Press Office via AP
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Colombian Armed Forces Press Office via AP
In this photo released by the Colombian Armed Forces Press Office, soldiers and natives face four indigenous brothers.
Colombian Armed Forces Press Office via AP
Two weeks after the crash, on May 16, a search team found the plane in a dense rainforest and found the bodies of adults, but no children.
Sensing that they might still be alive, the Colombian military stepped up its search for the children and sent 150 soldiers and sniffer dogs to the area to monitor the group of four siblings 13, 9, 4 and 11 months old. Dozens of volunteers from indigenous tribes also helped with the search.
On Friday, the military tweeted photos showing a group of soldiers and volunteers posing with children wrapped in thermal blankets. One of the soldiers brought the bottle to the mouth of the youngest child.
Colombia’s military command wrote on its Twitter account: “Our combination of efforts made this a reality.”
