A dramatic rescue took place in Bolivia’s Amazonas region when five individuals were saved after being stranded for 36 hours on top of a small plane in a swamp teeming with alligators.
The group had been missing for 48 hours, but thanks to a coordinated search and rescue effort, they were found in remarkably good condition.
The Situation in the Swamp
The plane had been forced into an emergency landing due to an engine failure, and its passengers found themselves in a life-or-death situation.
The swamp around them was full of alligators, leaving them with no chance to escape.
Local fishermen made the crucial discovery of the aircraft on Friday, which led to the rescue operation.
According to Wilson Avila, director of the emergency operations center in the Beni Department, all five survivors—including three women, a child, and the 29-year-old pilot—were found in “excellent” condition despite the terrifying ordeal.
The Dangers of the Alligator-Infested Waters
Footage of the rescue shows the survivors huddled together on top of the sinking plane.
The sight was horrifying, as the group was surrounded by dangerous predators.
The alligators, which were within meters of the stranded passengers, were kept at bay only by the leaking fuel from the aircraft.
The pilot, Andres Velarde, explained that the group had also spotted an anaconda in the swamp, adding to the danger.
Unable to drink water and unable to move due to the alligators, the group survived by eating local cassava flour that one of the passengers had packed.
Velarde described the intense fear they felt, noting that the caimans, a species of alligator native to the region, were extremely close.
He said, “The alligators came within three meters of us.”
The Search and Rescue Effort
The plane had disappeared from radar on Thursday, prompting an urgent search operation.
The pilot, Velarde, had been flying from Baures to the city of Trinidad when the plane started losing altitude.
Realizing the engine failure was critical, he made the decision to land in the swamp near the Itanomas River.
The survivors clung to the plane as it sank deeper into the water, praying for a miracle.
After the plane’s discovery by fishermen, a helicopter was dispatched to bring the survivors to safety.
Ruben Torres, the director of the Beni Region Health Department, expressed his relief and happiness after the rescue, saying that many theories had circulated during the search, but the combined efforts of all the rescue teams finally led to the successful outcome.
The group’s survival story is nothing short of miraculous, a testament to both their resilience and the swift action of Bolivia’s emergency services.