published
Wonders of Colombia“I’m crying with joy” – family reunited after saving children
Four siblings wandered around in the dense rainforest of Colombia for weeks until they were rescued on Friday. The grandparents saw her again for the first time.
That’s what it’s about
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Lesly (13), Soleiny (9), Tien (4) and Cristin (1) were missing for 40 days in the Colombian jungle after a small plane crashed.
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Emergency services found the four siblings on Friday.
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Her grandparents have now visited her in the hospital for the first time.
The children rescued after a 40-day search in the Colombian jungle are exhausted, according to their grandfather, but happy and well. Fidencio Valencia reported on Saturday in front of the military hospital in Bogotá that he had visited his four grandchildren in the hospital. «You are full of life. Even if they are very exhausted, I know that they are in good hands,” said the 47-year-old. The children are happy to see their relatives again.
The grandmother Fátima Valencia also visited the siblings in the hospital. “I’m crying with joy. The children are exhausted, but I have my daughter’s flesh and blood back.” The children’s mother died in the May 1 plane crash in the south of the country. Since then, soldiers and indigenous people had been looking for the children in the rough terrain. The father also took part in the search and accompanied the children to the military hospital in Bogotá after they were found. “I’ve been accepted too. I’m sick,” said Manuel Ranoque. “I have a high fever. I fought for 40 days to find my children.”
“Great pleasure to see her like this”
Defense Minister Iván Velásquez, who also visited the children on Saturday with President Gustavo Petro, said the four were “a little concerned to have so many people around, but they are recovering”. It was “a great pleasure to see her like this”.
The children were dehydrated when they were rescued and could not yet eat solid food, the defense secretary said. Overall, their state of health is “acceptable”, they are “out of danger”. Apart from a few skin injuries and insect bites, they did not suffer any external damage, added an army doctor. The children should now gradually get used to solid food again and stay in the hospital for about two to three weeks.
Children celebrated birthday in the jungle
Two of the children had celebrated their birthday in the jungle: the youngest, Cristin, was one year old, her brother Tien Noriel was five. The other brother is nine years old, the eldest girl 13. The minister praised the eldest, Lesly, enthusiastically: “It is thanks to her and her leadership that the other three survived, thanks to her care and her knowledge of the jungle.”
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(afp/dpa/jar)
2023-06-11 04:47:47
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