On May 1st 2023 a Cessna C206 crashed in the jungle of Solano in the Caqueta state of Colombia. The single-engine Cesna plane carrying six passengers declared an emergency due to an engine failure early in the day and disappeared from radar a short time later. 15 days later, on May 16th a volunteer search team located the wreckage and also the bodies of the pilot and two adult individuals, one of which was the body of Magdalena Mucutuy, 33. Magdalena was on board with her four minor children, aged 13, 9, 4 and 11 months, none of whom were initially located. The group was traveling from the Amazonian village of Araracuara to San Jose del Guaviare when the plane crashed. After not located the children for weeks, many believed the children had been rescued and were with one of the nomadic tribes who still live in the jungle. On May 30th 2023 a set of footprints were discovered that rekindled hope of finding the four children. They managed to find food, water and shelter in the rainforest until Colombian special forces, who had teamed up with Indigenous guides, finally found them. Rescuers located the emancipated children 2 1/2 miles from the crash site. The eldest, a girl named Lesly, was hailed as a hero for her survival insticts and knowledge.
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