10th June 2023, Mumbai: On Friday, June 9, Colombian authorities announced the miraculous rescue of four children who had survived a plane crash in the Amazon rainforest. The intensive 40-day search operation, dubbed “Operation Hope” (Operación Esperanza), came to a successful conclusion.
The rescued siblings were found alone and malnourished by the rescue team. Gustavo Petro, the President of Colombia, took to Twitter to share a photo of the rescued children and the rescue team, expressing joy for the entire country.
During a media interaction, President Petro praised the rescued children as an extraordinary example of survival, stating that their story would be remembered in history.The four children, named Lesly Jacobombaire Mucutuy (13), Soleiny Jacobombaire Mucutuy (9), Tien Ranoque Mucutuy (4), and Cristin Ranoque Mucutuy (11 months), were the sole survivors of the tragic plane crash.
Belonging to the Huitoto Indigenous community, the rescued siblings, despite their malnourishment, were not in critical condition, including the 11-month-old infant.It has been suggested that the survival skills imparted by their grandmother, who provided them with education, may have played a role in their ability to endure the challenging circumstances.
The rescued children have been transported to San Jose de Guaviare for medical and psychological assessments.The Cessna single-engine propeller plane carrying six passengers and a pilot declared an emergency due to engine failure in the early hours of May 1.
Tragically, Magdalena Mucutuy Valencia, the children’s mother, along with the pilot and an indigenous leader, lost their lives in the crash. Two weeks after the incident, on May 16, the crashed plane was located in a dense area of the Colombian rainforest, and the bodies were recovered. However, the children were not found at the crash site, prompting the extensive military-led search and rescue operation.
Days later, footprints, consumed fruits, and used napkins were discovered around 500 meters from the crash site. “Operation Hope” was expanded, involving 150 soldiers, 200 volunteers from nearby Indigenous tribes, and a team of ten Belgian shepherd dogs. They covered an area of over 323 square kilometers (125 square miles) in their efforts to locate the missing children.
A helicopter equipped with long-range speakers played announcements in the Huitoto language, delivered by the children’s grandmother, urging them to stay where they were and informing them of the ongoing search.
Around 5 p.m. on Friday, shouts of “Miracle! Miracle! Miracle!” resonated through the army radio. A team of ten troops and eight Indigenous volunteers discovered fresh footprints and followed them to a clearing where the children were found.The Colombian military shared photos on Saturday (local time) of the rescued children wrapped in thermal blankets, accompanied by a group of soldiers and volunteers.
Article by PRITESH PATEL