A pilot and four passengers, including a child, fought to stay alive for several hours in a swamp surrounded by deadly alligators and snakes. The individuals were stranded on top of a plane in a swamp after their flight was forced to make an emergency landing in the Amazon. The horrific nightmare ended after a Bolivian fisherman discovered the plane and alerted authorities.
The plane had been missing for 48 hours before it was discovered on Friday. The occupants included a pilot and four passengers: three women and a 6-year-old boy. The aircraft was heading to the north-central city of Trinidad after leaving Baures. However, it suddenly disappeared from the radar. Rescue teams were dispatched on Thursday to locate the missing plane and save the occupants.
According to reports, the 29-year-old pilot, Andres Velarde, said he had to land the plane after it experienced engine failure. Velarde was trying to land the plane near the Itanomas River, but the aircraft ended up in the alligator-infested swamp after it began losing altitude.
After the plane landed, the five occupants had to climb on top of the plane to stay safe because alligators surrounded them. The predators lurked within three metres of the survivors but did not get closer, presumably due to the plane’s leaking petrol, according to Velarde.
During the 36 hours, they depended on local cassava flour that one passenger had as food, but did not have water to drink. After they were eventually found, they were airlifted from the plane and taken to the hospital, where they were admitted in stable condition.
Almost everyone was released from the hospital over the weekend. The child’s 37-year-old aunt suffered a head wound that was infected and remained hospitalised. The doctor said the other four were still recovering from bruises, infected cuts, and minor chemical burns, though they were released. They also all had insect bites over their bodies and dehydration.
Velarde told reporters on Friday that they were unable to sleep due to the mosquitoes. “The alligators and snakes watched us all night, but they didn’t come close,” he added.
