Plane crashes in crocodile swamp, 5 miraculous survivors recount 36 life-and-death hours

(Dan Tri) - A small plane that went missing in Bolivia has just been found stranded in a crocodile-infested swamp in the Amazon. Five people miraculously survived after 36 hours standing on the roof of the plane, waiting to be rescued.

The single-engine plane carrying five people, including three women, a child and the 29-year-old pilot, was forced to make an emergency landing in a swamp near the Itanomas River, while flying from the town of Baures to the city of Trinidad, northern Bolivia.

The plane then disappeared from radar, prompting authorities to urgently launch a search and rescue operation on April 30 (local time).

On May 2, hope was renewed when a group of local fishermen discovered the plane overturned, lying in the middle of a swamp, surrounded by the dangerous wildlife of the Amazon.

Five people on the plane miraculously survived (Photo: Screenshot).

Miraculously, all five people on board survived. They were found in "excellent health," according to Wilson Avila, director of the Beni regional rescue center.

"I am very happy that in the end, all forces coordinated and saved their lives," Ruben Torres, director of the Beni regional health department, told Reuters.

From his hospital bed, pilot Andres Velarde (29 years old) recounted the life-and-death moment. He said that the plane suddenly lost altitude, the engine shut down in mid-air, forcing him to find an emergency landing. With no other choice, he piloted the plane into a flooded swamp.

For the next 36 hours, the group clung to the roof of the overturned plane, surrounded by swamps, with crocodiles scurrying just meters away. Velarde said they even saw a giant python.

"We couldn't move or find water because we were surrounded by crocodiles. We had no choice but to stay on the roof of the plane and wait," he said.

However, strangely, no animals attacked them. The pilot speculated that the smell of fuel leaking from the crashed plane had unintentionally become a "shield" that kept wild animals away.

In the dense darkness of the Amazon rainforest, people in distress constantly use the flashlights from their phones to both call for help and scare away wild animals.

A passenger brought local cassava flour, which inadvertently became a source of food that helped them survive two nights in the harsh nature, until they were discovered by a group of local fishermen.

Five people after being rescued (Photo: Bolivian Civil Defense Agency).

After receiving the report, the rescue team dispatched a helicopter to the scene and took the group to the hospital for a medical examination.

The Amazon is known as one of the most dangerous wildlife habitats on the planet, home to a variety of predators such as caiman crocodiles and anacondas. The fact that five people were able to survive in such conditions for 36 hours is considered a "miracle" in the South American jungle.

 

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/may-bay-roi-o-dam-lay-ca-sau-5-nguoi-song-sot-than-ky-ke-36-gio-sinh-tu-20250507002448314.htm