La Paz: Five individuals managed to survive for 36 hours in a crocodile-infested swamp after their plane made an emergency landing in Bolivia’s Amazon. This was confirmed by local authorities and the pilots on Friday.
Wilson Avila, who heads the Beni Regional Emergency Operations Centre, stated that everyone aboard—three women, some children, and a 29-year-old pilot—was rescued in “excellent condition” from a spot above the capsized aircraft.
The flight had originated from Bauers and was headed to Trinidad, roughly 180 kilometers (112 miles) away. Andres Verardo, the pilot, shared with local media from his hospital bed that the plane unexpectedly started to lose altitude.
In his search for a safe landing, he had no choice but to touch down in the swamp near a lagoon. Verardo mentioned they were “surrounded by alligators that came within three meters of us,” adding that what he presumed was leaking kerosene might have deterred the alligators. Additionally, they spotted an anaconda in the murky waters.
To sustain themselves, they relied on local cassava flour that one passenger had brought along. “We couldn’t drink water, and moving anywhere was impossible because of the crocodiles,” Verardo explained.
Local fishermen eventually found them and took the group to the hospital. In the Beni region, air taxis are often a means of transport due to the lack of paved roads and maintenance issues.
