36‑Hour ordeal: Survivors rescued from Amazon swamp crash
Five people survived 36 hours on the wreckage of a plane in an alligator-infested swamp in the Amazon following an emergency landing. As reported by the BBC, all were successfully rescued.
Five people were saved after enduring 36 hours on the wreckage of a plane in an alligator-infested swamp in the Amazon. The plane was forced to make an emergency landing. Local authorities confirmed that all passengers are in good condition.
A small plane went missing for 48 hours before being located by local fishermen in the Amazonas region of Bolivia. On board were three women, a child, and a 29-year-old pilot. Wilson Avila, director of the Beni department's rescue operations centre, reported that all were rescued in "excellent condition."
Drama on the wreckage
The search and rescue mission commenced on Thursday when the plane vanished from radar in central Bolivia. The pilot, Andrés Velarde, explained to local media that an engine failure forced him to undertake an emergency landing near the Itanomas River during a flight from Baures to the city of Trinidad.
The plane suddenly began to lose altitude, which forced me to land in a swamp near a lagoon. We were on the wreckage surrounded by alligators that came as close as 3 metres - said Velarde.
Velarde added that fuel leaking from the plane likely deterred the predators. In the water, they also spotted an anaconda. While awaiting rescue, they consumed local cassava flour that one of the passengers had with her.
We couldn't drink the water or move anywhere because of the alligators - Velarde added.
Happy ending
After the plane was found by fishermen, a helicopter was dispatched to the site to transport the survivors to the hospital. Ruben Torres, director of the Beni region's health department, expressed satisfaction with the conclusion of the rescue operation.
There was a lot of speculation and theories about the plane's disappearance. I'm glad that all institutions joined forces to find the missing people and save their lives - Torres told Reuters.
