Get All Access for $5/mo

'It's a Real Miracle': 4 Children Survived in the Amazon for 40 Days After Plane Crash The children, aged 13, 9, 4 and 11 months, survived by eating cassava flour and fruit.

By Madeline Garfinkle Edited by Jessica Thomas

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Colombian Military Forces | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Colombian Military Forces help four children who survived 40 days in the Amazon jungle after their plane crashed in the department of Caqueta on June 9, 2023.

Four children who had been missing since a plane crash on May 1 were found on Friday after surviving more than a month in the Colombian rainforest — an environment prone to heavy rain and inhabited by jaguars and poisonous snakes, the New York Times reported.

The Indigenous children are members of the Huitoto people and had been traveling from Araracuara, Colombia to San José del Guaviare with their mother, along with an Indigenous leader.

Rescue officials found the bodies of three adults at the wreckage site of the plane crash on May 16, but the children (aged 13, 9, 4 and 11 months) were nowhere in sight. However, authorities had strong reason to believe the children were still alive, pointing to footprints, shoes and diapers found in their search.

Related: 'Apparently Our Plane Bumped Into Another One:' JetBlue Flight Crashes Into Parked Aircraft Before Takeoff

"It's a real miracle. It's going to be news for years to come," Pedro Arenas, a human rights activist in San José del Guaviare, told the Times. "After 40 days, it is quite incredible news. So there is a lot of joy, there is really happiness."

The children survived by eating fariña (a kind of cassava flour) taken from the wreckage site and fruit that was in harvest, the AP noted.

"The minors were already very weak," Colombian general Pedro Sanchez, who was in charge of the rescue mission, told the outlet. "And surely their strength was only enough to breathe or reach a small fruit to feed themselves or drink a drop of water in the jungle."

Sanchez added that the children were found three miles from the wreckage site and that the rescue team had passed their location on a "couple of occasions" but missed them.

The children are being treated at a hospital in Bogota following their rescue and are expected to stay a minimum of two weeks, the AP reported.

"They achieved an example of total survival that will go down in history," Colombian president Gustavo Petro said at a news conference on Friday night.

Related: Video: Man Rescues Baby in Runaway Stroller After Job Interview, Then Lands the Gig

Madeline Garfinkle

News Writer

Madeline Garfinkle is a News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. She is a graduate from Syracuse University, and received an MFA from Columbia University. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Side Hustle

'Hustling Every Day': These Friends Started a Side Hustle With $2,500 Each — It 'Snowballed' to Over $500,000 and Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

Paris Emily Nicholson and Saskia Teje Jenkins had a 2020 brainstorm session that led to a lucrative business.

Science & Technology

5 Rule-Bending AI Hacks to Make Your Mornings More Productive and Profitable

By 2025, AI will transform productivity by streamlining workflows and cutting costs. Major companies like Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI are leading the way, advancing AI into "Phase 3," where tools act as digital assistants. Discover 5 AI hacks to boost efficiency and redefine your daily routine.

Business News

'I'm Shocked': Costco Customers Are Freaking Out About a Change to a Beloved Bakery Item

Costco customers are feeling burnt by a not-so-sweet switcheroo in the bakery department.

Science & Technology

5 Automation Strategies Every Small Business Should Follow

It's time we make IT automation work for us: streamline processes, boost efficiency and drive growth with the right tools and strategy.

Operations & Logistics

The Holidays Mean Vacation Time — But Disaster Can Still Strike. Is Your Crisis Plan Ready?

Holidays mean different working hours for companies and different schedules for employees that take off. Before you and your team enjoy some much deserved time off, it is important to put a crisis management plan in place so your business is ready to tackle any issue that crops up.