MIRACLE FIND
Four children whose plane crashed in the Amazon jungle are miraculously found alive six weeks after they vanished
FOUR children have been found alive six weeks after a plane they were on crashed in the Amazon jungle, killing three adults onboard.
The brothers, ages one, four, nine, and 13, were traveling in a small aircraft on May 1 when the plane went down in Colombia.
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The children's mother, Magdalena Mucutui Valencia, was killed in the crash, along with the pilot and an indigenous leader.
When the aircraft was recovered by the Colombian military, there was no sign of the boys, sparking an intense search to find them.
Military sources told the that the children were found alive after 40 days on their own in the jungle.
The children were said to be dehydrated and had insect bites but were otherwise in good condition.
'OPERATION HOPE'
Colombian President Gustavo Petro celebrated the good news on Twitter, writing: "A joy for the whole country!
"The four children who were lost 40 days ago in the Colombian jungle appeared alive."
Military nurses were caring for the youngsters, who showed signs of malnutrition, according to local reports.
The group was flying from a jungle location to San Jose del Guaviare, one of the main cities in Colombia's Amazon rainforest.
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The crash happened on the border between Guaviare and Caquetá where giant trees can grow up to 40 meters tall and heavy rainfall is common, which made the "Operation Hope" search difficult.
After finding the crash site, hundreds of Special Forces soldiers and indigenous volunteers scoured the jungle for the children.
Three helicopters were deployed, one of which blasted out a recorded message from the kids' grandmother in their native Huitoto language, telling them to stop moving through the jungle.
At one point, rescuers found some of the children's belongings along with a makeshift shelter and half-eaten food.
A baby's drinking bottle and pieces of fruit were spotted before the shelter's discovery.
Scissors, shoes, and hair ties could be seen among branches on the jungle floor in photographs released by the military.
Searches intensified after the discovery of the children's items, with sniffer dogs brought in to help.
FIGHT TO SURVIVE
The children are from the Indigenous Huitoto community, also spelled Witoto, who are known for living in harmony with the remote jungle.
The community develops skills in hunting, fishing, and gathering, which may have helped the children survive.
Huitoto leaders previously said that they hoped the children would use their knowledge of fruits and the jungle, giving them a better chance of being found alive.
Authorities have not yet revealed what caused the plane crash.
The pilot reported problems with the engine minutes before the plane disappeared from radar, Colombia's disaster response body said.
It is a region with few roads and is also difficult to access by river, so airplane transport is common.
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Manuel Ranoque, whose wife and four children were on the plane, told local media: “I would give anything to have my family by my side to pamper them.
“May God forgive us if we have failed in something.”
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