Four Indigenous children who had been missing for more than a month in the Colombian Amazon rainforest after their small plane crashed have been found alive, President Gustavo Petro said Friday. He described it as a “magical day” for the country. He said the children — Lesly Jacobombaire Mucutuy, 13, Soleiny Jacobombaire Mucutuy, 9, and Tien Noriel Ranoque Mucutuy, 11 months — are weak but in good condition.
The children were found near the crash site in the Colombian province of Caqueta, where they were last seen on May 1. The three adults aboard the aircraft — including the pilot — died in the crash.
For weeks, the emaciated youngsters were the focus of an international search for clues in the jungle where jaguars and other predators roam. Footprints, a dirty diaper, and a bottle believed to belong to the children were all discovered over time but hopes faded as the weeks passed.
But on Wednesday, armed forces said rescuers in an area called “Operation Hope” intensified the hunt when they spotted remnants of a shelter built with sticks and branches by the children. They also uncovered a drinking bottle and discarded fruit. The military dropped food into the jungle from helicopters to track down the siblings. It broadcasted a message the children’s grandmother recorded in their indigenous Huitoto language, asking them to stay put so they could be located.
Hundreds of soldiers and volunteers from Indigenous tribes joined the search, hampered by heavy rainfall and fears of wild animals in the region where the plane crashed. Giant trees that can grow up to 40 meters tall and the jungle’s thick foliage made visibility difficult.
The children, members of the Uitoto Indigenous community, are now being treated in a hospital in Bogota. According to a report by local media, the youngest was suffering from malnutrition. They are being fed a mixture of oatmeal, rice, and corn that will help them regain weight.
Al Jazeera’s Alessandro Rampietti, reporting from the capital, said people in Colombia were celebrating the news that the children had been found alive. He said many had begun to lose hope that they would be found alive, and it was a relief to know they were in good health.
The Colombian president praised the army and the Indigenous volunteers who had worked tirelessly to find the children. He urged the public to pray for the children’s recovery. “Today, the Colombian government and all its institutions are in the hands of God, and all the nation is praying that this miracle takes place,” he said. “It is a moment of happiness for the entire nation.” He later apologized for an error on Twitter when he first announced the children’s rescue, saying he had received inaccurate information. The rescue team subsequently confirmed the information. He was forced to delete the tweet the next day, apologizing for his mistake.
