Five survivors were rescued after 36 hours in an alligator-infested swamp in Bolivia following an emergency plane crash. The group included three women, a child, and the pilot, who all survived on cassava flour while surrounded by danger. Fortunately, they were found by local fishermen and transported to a hospital in good condition.
In a remarkable survival story, five individuals endured a harrowing 36 hours atop a capsized plane in an alligator-infested swamp in the Bolivian Amazon, following an emergency landing. Local officials and the pilot provided an update on Friday, revealing that all five people—comprising three women, a child, and the 29-year-old pilot—were rescued in surprisingly good health.
The aircraft was en route from Baures to Trinidad when it encountered distress. Pilot Andres Velarde reported to media from a hospital bed that the plane mysteriously began to lose altitude. In a desperate bid for safety, he scouted for a suitable landing area, ultimately settling on a swamp adjacent to a lagoon.
Velarde recounted that the group found themselves nearly surrounded by alligators, which ventured alarmingly close—within three meters of their makeshift perch. Fortunately, he believed that the leaking kerosene from the plane acted as a deterrent against the predatory reptiles. In addition to the alligators, they spotted an anaconda lurking in the murky waters, heightening the sense of peril.
For sustenance during this daunting ordeal, the group fed on local cassava flour that one of the passengers had brought along. “We couldn’t drink water and we couldn’t go anywhere else because of the alligators,” Velarde lamented, highlighting the desperation of their situation.
The search and rescue operation commenced Thursday after authorities lost contact with the aircraft on radar. The five were eventually spotted and rescued by local fishermen, who then facilitated their transport to a hospital via helicopter.
Ruben Torres, the Director of the Beni Region Health Department, spoke to the challenges the search faced, stating there were “many theories” about the plane’s disappearance. He expressed immense relief, noting, “I am really happy because in the end, all the institutions joined together to be able to find the missing people and save those lives.”
The survival of five individuals after a plane crash in Bolivia’s Amazon is nothing short of extraordinary. Their quick thinking and the eventual collaborative rescue efforts highlighted the dangerous circumstances in which they found themselves. Thankfully, medical reports indicate that all are doing well following their ordeal. This incident serves as a reminder of the inherent dangers of aviation and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
Original Source: www.cbsnews.com
