Colombian Plane Crash ‘Miracle’: Mother And Child Survive 5 Days In Crime And Crocodile-Infested Jungle

A mother and child have been rescued after surviving a plane crash in the Colombian jungle, according to reports. María Nelly Murillo, 18, and her infant son were passengers on a twin engine Cessna 303 prop plane when it crashed, obliterating the plane and killing the pilot, Carlos Mario Ceballos. Rescuers found his body on June 22nd in Choco, Colombia’s westernmost department, along with the airplanes spilled cargo of coconuts and fish. The plane went off civilian radar just 20 minutes into its 45-minute itinerary charted from Quibdó to Nuquí.

Little had hope that the pair would be found alive. Choco is home not only to natural dangers -- heat, crocodiles, mosquitoes and snakes -- but human ones as well. Three armed groups are known to operate in the area, including the revolutionary groups ELN and FARC, as well as the Urabeños drug cartel. However, cracked open coconuts and a copy of the baby’s birth certificate gave rescuers a glimmer of hope.

Rescuers including Red Cross personnel and members of the Colombian Air Force found the pair after five days (reports conflict) lost in the densely wooded area by using loud microphone. A 14-person team scoured the area around the crash, until finally the voice of Murillo called back, crying for help.

“Relax, it’s the Colombian Red Cross, stay calm and we’re going to help you,” Red Cross member Asisclo Rentería told CNN, recounting the event.

Murillo suffered some burns as a result of the airplane catching fire. Her son was found in good health. Both were transferred to the hospital in Quibdó.

The successful rescue was welcome publicity for the Colombian military, which has come under fire in the wake the deepening human rights scandal. On Wednesday, Human Rights Watch released a report implicating top officials in the “false positives” affair, which left as many as 3,000 civilians dead in the 2000s.