The plane tragedy had an unexpected ending. After 16 days of searching, this Wednesday morning the four minors were found alive, including an 11-month-old baby. They were all missing after the plane they were traveling in crashed.
The discovery of new clues, such as scissors and a ribbon, increased the hope of finding the minors alive. Despite the difficult weather conditions and the adversities of the terrain, the rescue teams remained steadfast in their objective and managed to find the whereabouts of the children and the baby.
Unfortunately, so far the bodies of the pilot of the aircraft, Hernando Murcia Morales, have been found; and two other people, Magdalena Mucutuy Valencia, mother of the four disappeared children; and Hermán Mendoza Hernández, director of the Yetara indigenous professionals’ foundation.
The authorities confirmed that the children are being monitored by the Army and that the Colombian Institute for Family Welfare has sent teams to the area to provide them with the necessary care. However, due to difficult weather conditions, it has not yet been possible to evacuate them from the area.
It is expected that once conditions improve, they will be transferred by helicopter to the capital of the department, Florencia, where their rights will be verified and medical attention will be provided.
The possibilities of transferring minors are also being evaluated to the cities of San José del Guaviare or Villavicencio. Meanwhile, search and rescue efforts continue in the area, with the participation of approximately 100 members of the Military Forces and three canine pairs.
A helicopter with Judicial Police personnel will be in charge of removing the bodies from the accident site. The Huitoto indigenous community, to which the minors belong, remains on edge and offers its support in the search efforts.
President Gustavo Petro has given instructions to deploy all the necessary resources and find the missing, considering two hypotheses: that they died in the accident or that they are lost in the mountains.