SURVIVAL SKILLS

Astonishing New Details Reveal How Lost Kids Survived 40 Days in the Amazon

Authorities reported that the children are in a stable condition, but were weak and tired when rescuers found them in the jungle.

The children who survived 40 days alone in the Colombian rainforest after escaping a downed plane stayed alive by foraging for food, according to authorities. The Associated Press reported that the children first ate cassava flour pulled from the wrecked plane before turning to fruits and seeds, which are plentiful in the jungle at this time of year. Still, the children were in rough condition when searchers found them. “The minors were already very weak,” said Colombian Gen. Pedro Sanchez, who led the rescue teams. “And surely their strength was only enough to breathe or reach a small fruit to feed themselves or drink a drop of water in the jungle.” The children, who were transported to a hospital in Bogotá, are being rehydrated and are unable to eat food, according to the country’s defense minister. “In general, the condition of the children is acceptable,” he said.