The four children, who survived in the jungle for 40 days, play in a recovery center after being discharged from the Military Hospital in Bogota, Colombia, in this photo from July 14, 2023 [Colombian Institute of Family Welfare via Reuters]
Metropolis Desk-
After a 34-day hospital stay, four indigenous Colombian children who survived a plane crash in the country’s Amazon area and survived for more than five weeks alone in the bush have been discharged.
Following treatment and observation following the crash on May 1 that claimed the lives of their mother and two other adults, the children, aged one to thirteen, were discharged from the hospital on Thursday night. After an extensive and challenging search and rescue operation, they were located last month.
Officials believe that the eldest sister’s bravery and the Indigenous children’s understanding of the jungle saved their lives.
“Their weight and size have returned. They are doing extremely well, Astrid Caceres, the nation’s child welfare institute’s head, told reporters on Friday.
“The second phase of caring and protecting them begins,” she declared.
The children – Lesly, aged 13; Soleiny, nine; Tien Noriel, five; and one-year-old baby Cristin – appeared emaciated in photos taken shortly after they were found, and in the hospital, they were given food typical of the Huitoto Indigenous group to which they belong, such as cassava flour.
According to relatives, Lesly’s extensive experience of surviving in the jungle, with its numerous inherent risks, including snakes, carnivorous animals, and armed criminal groups, allowed the children to survive.
To find the kids, it took close to 200 military and Native American rescuers using search dogs.
Due to a “complex family situation,” the siblings will continue to be cared for by the child welfare agency, and final custody decisions will be made for them in six months.
“We’re entering a transitional phase for the protection of the children,” Caceres continued.
The two youngest children’s father and the mother’s family have both expressed a desire for custody to the media.
Source- Al Jazeera
