Children Survive Alone in Rainforest for 40 Days

Colombian Rainforest —(Map)

Four children have survived alone in Colombia’s Amazon rainforest for 40 days. On May 1, their small airplane crashed. Somehow, the children managed to survive for over a month in the jungle before being rescued. The news that they’re safe has brought joy to the entire country.

The children’s journey began when they were flying with their mom from the village of Araracuara, to San Jose del Guaviare. Their small plane had engine trouble, and crashed in the rainforest. Sadly, all three adults on the plane died, including the children’s mother.

This left the four children alone in the jungle. The oldest child was a 13-year-old girl. Next came a 9-year-old, a 4-year-old, and an 11-month-old baby.

The children’s journey began when the plane they were flying in crashed in Colombia’s rainforest. All three adults on the plane died, leaving the four children alone in the jungle. The oldest was a 13-year-old girl. The youngest was an 11-month-old baby. Above, soldiers inspect the crash site.

The children are members of the Indigenous Huitoto tribe. The Huitotos live in the Amazon rainforest, so the children were familiar with some of the plants and fruits that could be found there.

At first, the children lived off of flour made from cassava roots. They had found the flour in the airplane wreckage. When they ran out of flour, the children used their knowledge of the forest’s fruits and seeds to survive. Luckily, it was a time when many rainforest plants were producing fruit.

As soon as the plane went down, people started searching to see if anyone had survived. After two weeks, the plane was found. The people searching found signs that the children might still be alive.

Rescue teams flew in helicopters and dropped boxes of food, hoping the children would find them. But they couldn’t see the ground because the forest was so thick. The helicopters even played a recorded message from the children’s grandmother, encouraging the kids to avoid moving around.

Over 150 soldiers were sent out with dogs to search on the ground. These teams left whistles around, hoping the children would find them and use them to make noise. Around 70 Indigenous volunteers also helped search.

At different points in time, the search teams found signs of the children – a bottle, a partly-eaten piece of fruit, and even a rough shelter made by the children.

Last Friday, after more than a month, the soldiers finally found the children in a small clearing in the forest, about 3 miles (5 kilometers) from where the plane had crashed. The children were very weak, but they were alive.

The children were very weak, but they were alive. A helicopter was used to lift the kids up and out of the rainforest. Above, the children arrive by plane in Bogota, where family members, including the children’s father, were waiting for them. The children are now at a hospital in Bogota.

The soldiers who found the children wrapped them in blankets and gave them drinks. A helicopter was used to lift the kids up and out of the rainforest.

Everyone was extremely happy and relieved that the children were safe. Colombian President Gustavo Petro said they were an “example of total survival that will go down in history.”

The children are now at a hospital in Colombia’s capital, Bogota, where they are expected to stay for about two weeks. The children are getting healthier and will soon be able to eat solid food again.

The story of the children’s survival has inspired many people. It has also shown how the knowledge and skills of Indigenous people can help in difficult times.

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Did You Know…?
The search for the missing children has also brought together two groups that have had trouble getting along – the military and Colombia’s Indigenous groups. In the past, these two groups have often disagreed. But during the search, everyone worked together to find and rescue the children.