The siblings aged between one and thirteen were on board the plane with their mother and two pilots, who did not survive the plane crash.
According to BBC, the children, air-lifted to safety from the jungle after a story of survival against the odds, pictures released by the Columbian President were the first to confirm that the four rescued children wrapped in blankets were alive.
They were found by the military by a huge and long search. The children forced to fend for themselves for more than five weeks, while in the jungle.
The Columbian President, Gustavo Petro had said, “Together, the military forces and the indigenous communities that helped the search efforts, found the children after 40 days. They were on their own; their example of survival will go down in history. Today, those children are the children of peace and the children of Columbia.”
Hundreds of soldiers had been involved in the desperate search for the children aged thirteen, nine, four and one. A recorded message was played from the air, that if they heard it, they should stay still and wait for help.
They had been missing, since the start of May, 2023, when the plane they were in crashed. The bodies of the children’s mother, the pilot and the co-pilot were found. But, there was hope that the children were alive after items left by them, including a drinking bottle and half-eaten fruit were found.
The children belong to an indigenous group where they had learnt about jungle survival skills on how to keep themselves safe.
Their family can scarcely believe that this moment has come.
Their grandfather, Fidencio Valencia, said, “We are happy because, until now, we could not sleep. We could not be happy. We could not talk. For us, the situation was like being in the dark, living for the sake of living, in that, the hope of finding them kept us alive. When we found the children, we felt joy. We don’t know what to do. But, we are grateful to God.”
The children have been flown to the capital, Bogata, for a full medical assessment. They are weak and tired. But, their rescuers are calling this a magical day.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0