How brave girl, 13, used hair ties to keep her young brothers alive for 40 days in Amazon jungle after plane crash
A BRAVE girl used hair ties to keep her younger brothers alive for 40 days in the Amazon jungle, it can be revealed.
At just 13-years-old, youngster Lesly pulled off one of the most audacious survival attempts after a horror plane crash in Colombia last month.
The teenager led the charge as her brothers Soleiny, nine, Tien Noriel, four and baby Cristin found themselves stranded in the rainforest.
The accident killed everyone else on board, the children’s mother Magdalena Mucutui Valencia, the pilot and an indigenous leader.
On Friday, South American officials announced the incredible moment the four children were finally rescued.
Footage showed the kids being hauled onto a helicopter after they were discovered during the massive search operation.
But now, the kid’s extended family have revealed how a “survival game” they used to play helped them stay alive.
Aunty Damarys Mucutuy told Caracol news network the youngsters loved to play in the jungle.
She said: “When we played, we set up like little camps.
“Lesly knew what fruits she can’t eat because there are many poisonous fruits in the forest.
“And she knew how to take care of a baby.”
Pictures from the military rescue showed hair ribbons tied to branches on the rainforest’s floor.
Fatima Valencia, the children’s grandmother, told the BBC she was so grateful the kids survived but also for Lesly’s heroic efforts.
She said: “She gave them flour and cassava bread, any fruit in the bush, they know what they must consume.”
After being rescued, the children received treatment at a military hospital in the capital, Bogota, where they are making a strong recovery.
THE RESCUE
The kids’ survival marvelled the rescuers after they were found six weeks after their plane crashed.
At the time, all the adults who had been traveling with the children – including their mum Magdalena Mucutui Valencia – had been killed in the crash.
But there was hope when the wreckage of the plane was found – as half-eaten fruit was discovered at the crash site.
Search and rescue teams believed the kids were still alive and set about scouring the wilds of the jungle.
As a result, Lesly, 13, Soleiny, 9, Tien Noriel, 4, and baby Cristin – were found.
The video features the children clinging to the military crew as they are winched aboard the rescue helicopter, dubbed “Angel”.
And one of the kids is even seen smiling as his ordeal is finally over.
Despite being dehydrated and covered in insect bites – the children appeared to be remarkably healthy.
The Colombian Air Force shared the remarkable footage – saying the rescue took place despite bad weather.
President Gustavo Petro said finding the group was a “magical day”.
He said: “They were alone, they themselves achieved an example of total survival which will remain in history.
“These children are today the children of peace and the children of Colombia.”
The kids are now being cared for by military nurses.
The group was flying from a jungle location to San Jose del Guaviare, one of the main cities in Colombia’s Amazon rainforest.
The crash happened on the border between Guaviare and Caquetá where giant trees can grow up to 40 meters tall and heavy rainfall is common.
After finding the crash site, hundreds of Special Forces soldiers and indigenous volunteers scoured the jungle for the children.
It was dubbed “Operation Hope”.
Three helicopters were deployed, one of which blasted out a recorded message from the kids’ grandmother in their native Huitoto language, telling them to stop moving through the jungle.
At one point, rescuers found some of the children’s belongings along with a makeshift shelter and half-eaten food.
A baby’s drinking bottle and pieces of fruit were spotted before the shelter’s discovery.
Scissors, shoes, and hair ties could be seen among branches.
Searches intensified after the discovery of the children’s items, with sniffer dogs brought in to help.
The children are from the Indigenous Huitoto community, also spelled Witoto, who are known for living in harmony with the remote jungle.
FIGHT TO SURVIVE
The community develops skills in hunting, fishing, and gathering, which may have helped the children survive.
Huitoto leaders previously said that they hoped the children would use their knowledge of fruits and the jungle, giving them a better chance of being found alive.
Authorities have not yet revealed what caused the plane crash.
The pilot reported problems with the engine minutes before the plane disappeared from radar, Colombia’s disaster response body said.
It is a region with few roads and is also difficult to access by river, so airplane transport is common.
Manuel Ranoque, whose wife and four children were on the plane, told local media: “I would give anything to have my family by my side to pamper them.
“May God forgive us if we have failed in something.”