Intrigue Continues Over 4 Missing Children Said To Have Miraculously Survived in Amazon for 2+ Weeks After a Plane Crash

It’s being called a miracle in the jungle after 3 kids and a baby, were reportedly found alive more than 2 weeks after surviving a deadly plane crash in Colombia. According to the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare (ICBF), the children, who range in age from between 11 months to 13 years, were on board a small plane with their mother, a pilot, and a co-pilot. The plane crashed on May 1 due to suspected engine failure, killing all adults on board.

After a huge search effort involving more than 100 soldiers, the plane and the bodies of the adults were finally located after 2 weeks, per BBC. However, the kids were nowhere to be found. The Colombian Civil Aviation Authority said they found a shelter built with sticks and leaves in the Amazon forest and released photos of a child’s drinking bottle, a pair of scissors, a hair tie, and half-eaten fruit.

However, direct confirmation of the children’s survival remains murky. While ICBF reported on May 17 that the children had 'been found alive and that they were in good health,; the charter company whose aircraft crashed told CNN they have not received proof of the children’s arrival yet.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro tweeted on May 17 that the 4 children were found alive, but it was deleted the following day. “I have decided to delete this tweet because the information by the ICBF could not be confirmed,” wrote Petro, after no photos or videos emerged showing the children. “The Military Forces and the indigenous communities will continue in their tireless search to give the country the news it is waiting for. At this moment, there is no other priority other than moving forward with the search until you find them. Children’s lives are the most important thing.”