Columbian Miracle Kids
Imagine your kids being all alone in a forest for one month. It is a daunting thought. It is truly miraculous how the four Columbian siblings stayed and survived in the Amazon rainforest for forty days on their own. They belong to the Huitoto indigenous group. They were fleeing from their village along with their mother and two other adults. Their ultimate destination was their father, who had taken refuge elsewhere due to threats from a guerrilla group. However, fate took a cruel turn on May 1st, 2023, when their plane crashed deep within the Amazon rainforest. The incredible survival story of these young indigenous children has amazed people worldwide, highlighting their strength and resourcefulness.
Three adults on board lost their lives in that fatal crash. Although the kids’ mother initially survived, she also passed away just four days later. Somehow, the 4 kids survived and were brave enough to walk away from the bodies to forage. They were children of the jungle, knowing exactly how to navigate through the dense vegetation, which plants were safe to eat, and how to stay safe from threatening creatures like jaguars and venomous snakes. Living in the Amazon rainforest requires a deep understanding of the environment, and these children possess it.
Their grandmother and mother had passed on the traditional knowledge and essential skills required to live in the jungle. These skills, which they acquired from a very young age, helped them to survive in one of the most dangerous places on the planet. The eldest of them, Leslie, only 13 years old, was determined to protect her siblings. She took on the role of a guide and mother, ensuring their safety and well-being. Her siblings, Tien turned five and Cristin turned one while struggling to stay alive in the jungle. It is a remarkable aspect of their indigenous culture that teaches children to be self-reliant from a young age.
The part of the jungle where they were found is extremely remote and hostile. It’s a place abundant with wild animals like jaguars, snakes, and poisonous insects. The heavy rains can last for more than 15 hours a day, and the thick vegetation limits visibility to just 10 meters. The rescuers were continuously playing a recorded message from their grandmother to Lesly to remain calm and stay put in the Huitoto language. When Lesly and her siblings were finally found, they were very weak. They had spent over a month in that forest and it seems they survived by eating wild fruits and about three pounds of cassava flour. This flour is a nutritious staple in the Amazon region, and they packed it from the wreckage of the plane crash. The eldest of them, Lesly, was so thoughtful to take the baby food also from the plane so that she could feed the youngest of them, the 11-month-old Cristin. Fortunately for them, it happened to be the forest’s harvest season, providing them access to small streams with freshwater shrimps and tiny fishes within the jungle. Their survival evidence shows impressive foresight too.
Hence, they would have definitely known about these streams. Even though the rescue team had been providing the kids with survival kits, it has been noted that only one among the hundreds of kits was used by the children. Also, their being together was an emotional booster for their survival.
A Belgian shepherd named Wilson who assisted in the extensive search for the children is currently missing in the Amazon jungle. As a tribute to the rescue dog, the two older children drew pictures of Wilson. The children are currently recovering in a hospital in Bogota.
Neethu Paul,
Staff Reporter
