The dense jungle of Colombia proved no match for the strength of four young survivors. After a Cessna 206 plane carrying seven people crashed in the Colombian province of Caqueta on May 1st, the entire party seemed lost.
Engine failure on a route between Araracuara and San Jose del Guaviare had alerted an emergency signal just before the aircraft plunged into the lush vegetation.
Three adults, including the pilot of the plane, were found dead in the wreckage, but it appeared that the four remaining passengers – 13, 9, 4, and an 11-month-old – had managed to escape the plane and set off into the rainforest in search of aid.
The four children were found alive after two weeks of grueling search efforts led by members of Colombia’s military, fire services, and civil aviation authority.
The rescuers had pinpointed their whereabouts by searching for clues such as improvised shelters crafted from local vegetation and discarded fruit – a sign that the children had survived on the land. Assistance from both the Colombian air force and the army in the form of airplanes and helicopters was also instrumental in the successful rescue mission.
The four children’s survival filled Columbia’s people with joy and appreciation. President Gustavo Petro praised the heroes that fought “arduous efforts” to bring the kids to safety. This miraculous story of human resilience reminds us of the incredible power of the human spirit.