'Children of jungle': A look at how rescue workers found Amazon kids after 40 days

Four young children who went missing for 40 days after a plane crashed in the mighty Amazon forest were found alive in Colombia on Friday. The children belonged to the indigenous community and the President of Colombia Gustavo Petro stated that they survived the jungle together. The Colombian president lauded the survival instincts of the children and described it as the “true example of survival”. While the people took a sigh of relief after hearing the news questions emerged about the safety of travelling in the treacherous conditions of the Amazone forest. 

“A joy for the whole country! The 4 children who were lost 40 days ago in the Colombian jungle appeared alive,” the Colombian President wrote on Twitter sharing the visuals of the rescuers working on the site. The children were immediately sent to the hospital after a medical examination. They were flown out by the Colombian Air Force which had an air ambulance inside it. Four medics, including a paediatrician and a neonatologist, provided treatment on board and the ‘miracle children were flown to the  Military Transport Air Command in Bogota, the country’s national capital. As the news of the rescue operation doing around, here’s a look at how it all started. 

Soldiers and Indigenous men pose for a photo with the four Indigenous children who were missing after a deadly plane crash, in the Solano jungle, Caqueta state, Colombia, Friday, June 9, 2023, Image: AP 

The actual plane crash happened on May 1, when the Cessna single-engine propeller plane carrying six passengers and a pilot called for an emergency due to an engine failure. The old aircraft fell off the radar shortly after and a frantic search operation commenced in the Amazon forest. It was on May 16 that the rescuers found the plane in a thick patch of rainforest and recovered the body of three adults that included the pilot. However, the four children who were on board were nowhere to be found and the hope to find them remained prevalent. 

 A soldier stands in front of the wreckage of a Cessna C206, May 18, 2023, that crashed in the jungle of Solano in the Caqueta state of Colombia, Image: AP

The surviving children were identified as Lesly Jacobombaire Mucutuy, aged 13, Soleiny Jacobombaire Mucutuy, 9, Tien Ranoque Mucutuy, 4, and infant Cristin Ranoque Mucutuy. Their mother Magdalena Mucutuy Valencia, was found dead during the search, as per media reports. The news of their missing galvanised a massive military-led search operation that involved hundreds of Colombian special troops and over 70 indigenous scouts. The crew started looking for whatever hint they could find, this included footprints, dirty diapers and a bottle. The family of the children remained hopeful as they told the authorities that the children had some experience living in the forest. After 40 days of intense search, the rescuers finally found the children. 

The miraculous task

Indigenous leader Lucho Acosta who was coordinating the indigenous scout lauded the effort of the rescue workers and called the operation called “Operation Hope” a miraculous effort. “They all added a little effort so that Operation Hope could be successful, and we can hope the kids will emerge alive and stronger than before. We have been hoping together with the strength of our ancestors, and our strength prevailed,” he said. The Colombian Defence Minister also called it a “miracle”. “The joy is immense, the gratitude to our @FuerzasMilCol and indigenous communities will be eternal. We never stopped looking for them until the miracle came. #OperaciónEsperanza,” Mindefesa tweeted. 

A military helicopter takes off with a group of Indigenous at a military base in Calamar, Colombia, Tuesday, May 23, 2023

Highlights the issue of ageing planes and wild terrain 

The incident highlighted the issue of flying old aircraft in wild terrains. The skies over the Amazon have seen many accidents. According to reports, of all 641 accidents registered since 1996, 8.74% of the total took place in the forest region. The experts also stated that the pilots must contend with flying old planes in treacherous conditions. The plane that crashed with the kids was 40 years old. But the age of the plane is not surprising since planes as old as 80 years old fly in the region. While the pilots do have long-wave radios or GPS systems, the rest is left to the intuition of the pilot. Hence, the tragic incident has the potential to attract the government’s attention to the issue.