Survivors Rescued After 36 Hours in Crocodile-Infested Swamp Following Plane Crash in Bolivia
Sucre:In a dramatic survival story, five people have been rescued after spending **36 hours stranded on the roof of a crashed plane** in a **crocodile-infested swamp** in the Amazon region of **Bolivia**.
According to local authorities, the small aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing near the **Iténez River** in the remote **Amazonas region** after suffering engine failure. The **three women, one child, and the 29-year-old pilot**, Andrés Velarde, took shelter on the plane’s roof, surrounded by dangerous wildlife.
BBC reported that local fishermen discovered the wreckage **48 hours later**, prompting an air rescue. Fortunately, all five were found in **”good condition,”** as confirmed by **Wilson Avila**, director of the Emergency Operations Center in Bolivia’s Beni Department.
### Crocodiles Just Meters Away
Pilot Andrés Velarde told local media that they landed in a swampy area near a lake when the aircraft lost altitude suddenly.
> “We stood on the roof of the plane while crocodiles swam just three meters away,” Velarde said. “The smell of leaking fuel may have kept them away.”
He also recalled spotting an **anaconda** in the water and said they survived by eating **cassava flour** brought by one of the passengers.
> “We had no drinkable water and couldn’t risk moving due to the wildlife around us,” he added.
### Swift Response After Fishermen’s Discovery
The survivors were eventually spotted by local fishermen, after which a **rescue helicopter** was dispatched to extract them and transport them to a nearby hospital.
**Dr. Rubén Torres**, director of the Beni Department’s Health Office, stated that multiple rescue agencies collaborated to locate and save the missing group, dispelling earlier speculations about their fate.
The incident highlights both the **dangers of flying over remote Amazon terrain** and the **resilience** of those who survived under extreme conditions.
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