Five people survived an intensive ordeal after they were left stranded in an alligator and anaconda-infested swamp last week when their small plane lost altitude and was forced to land in the Bolivian jungle.
The five survivors, including a 6-year-old boy, spent 36 hours in the predator-infested swamp area before being rescued on Friday by some fishermen.
The plane, which was flying from the Bolivian village of Baures to Trinidad farther south, crash landed after only 27 minuted in the air when the plane’s only engine cut out.
As the plane landed in the swamp region, it started to flood with water and the survivors were forced to clamber their way on top of its fuselage, where they spent two sleepless nights.
The health status of the Bolivian plane crash survivors
The doctor who treated the crash victims told the Associated Press on Saturday that all were conscious and in stable condition, although the 6-year-old’s 37-year-old aunt remained in the hospital for treatment as a gash in her head had become infected. The rest of the survivors were discharged after being treated for dehydration, minor chemical burns, infected cuts, bruises and insect bites.
"We couldn't believe it, that they weren't attacked and left for dead," Dr. Luis Soruco, director of the hospital where the survivors were delivered in Bolivia's tropical Beni province, told CBS News.
Pablo Andrés Velarde, the 27-year-old pilot, shared details of the ordeal with reporters over the weekend.
"The mosquitoes wouldn't let us sleep," Velarde shared from his hospital bed. "The alligators and snakes watched us all night, but they didn't come close."
While Velarde theorized that the plane’s fuel kept the camine at bay, it prevented the group from drinking water from the lagoon. They ate rationed amounts of ground cassava flour that a passenger had packed with her."We couldn't drink water, and we couldn't go anywhere else because of the alligators," Velarde said.
The group was eventually saved when they were noticed by some fishermen, after they spent hours shouting and shining lights at the sound of every propeller. They were taken aboard their canoes, and authorities were contacted.
Bolivia's civil defense vice minister, Edmundo Novillo, said in a statement: "We're proud of the work our rescue team does. Their dedication and professionalism have allowed the lives of the crew of the stranded aircraft to be saved. This success is an example of the capability and efficiency of our Armed and Civil Defense Forces in emergency situations."