People all around Colombia talking about the "Miracle in the jungle." The four children who have been lost for 40 days in the middle of the Colombian jungle were found alive on Friday, according to the Colombian government. The four siblings, minors, went missing in a remote part of the jungle after the plane they were traveling in crashed. Since then, an extensive military and civilian operation was launched in search of the children when indications suggested that they were still alive. The other three occupants of the light aircraft were killed in the accident.
The four children survived in extreme conditions over the last 40 days. The Colombian military said they were dehydrated, malnourished and covered in insect bites, but alive. The youngest child was barely one year old. The others range in age from 13 to four years old.
¡Una alegría para todo el país! Aparecieron con vida los 4 niños que estaban perdidos hace 40 días en la selva colombiana. pic.twitter.com/cvADdLbCpm
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) June 9, 2023
The jungle where the children disappeared is located in the department of Caquetá, a place with a number of wild and dangerous animals. The Colombian Army's search operations were carried out with the intensive use of aerial means, such as helicopters. The indigenous people, who are familiar with the area, played an active role in the search. Three rescue dogs were also involved in the search. Unfortunately, as reported by the Colombian Armed Forces, one of them, Wilson, went missing.
#AHora la Fuerza Aerea de Colombia realizan la extracción de la espesa selva a los 4 niños. El helicóptero 🚁 está a más de 60 mts de altura. Los árboles 🌳 son muy altos y la visibilidad es casi nula. Van al helipuerto habilitado en medio de la selva para esta... pic.twitter.com/UQZhBXzKn6
— 𝔭𝔯𝔬𝔡𝔲𝔠𝔱𝔬𝔯𝔢𝔰 ˢⁱⁿ ᶠⁱˡᵗʳᵒˢ 🆗 (@productoresUY) June 10, 2023
Colombian President Gustavo Petro celebrated the news with some statements to the press as well as a tweet. He described the rescue of the children as a "joy for the whole country." According to Colombian authorities, the children were taken to a hospital in San José Guaviare for medical attention. Photographs shared by the Colombian Government show them being transported by helicopter to the town.
Colombia is celebrating the news. The country followed the search for the four children in Caquetá minute by minute. This was the country's top story for over a month.
