President Gustavo Petro announced on Friday that four Indigenous children, who had been missing for over a month following a small plane crash in the Colombian Amazon rainforest, have been discovered alive.

Sharing the news with the media in the capital city of Bogota, Petro described the day as “magical” after revealing the successful rescue of the children.

He said “They are weak. Let’s let the doctors make their assessment.”

Earlier, President Gustavo Petro took to Twitter and shared a photograph depicting several adults, some wearing military fatigues, attending to the children who were seated on tarps in the midst of the jungle. In the image, a rescuer could be seen holding a bottle to the mouth of the youngest child, cradling them in their arms.

“A joy for the whole country! The 4 children who were lost 40 days ago in the Colombian jungle were found alive,” he wrote on Twitter.

Late on Friday, the Defense Ministry shared a video capturing the moment the children were lifted into a hovering helicopter, surrounded by the towering trees in nearly pitch-black darkness.

Belonging to the Huitoto Indigenous group, the children, aged 13, nine, four, and one, had been traversing the jungle alone since May 1, when the Cessna 206 aircraft they were traveling in crashed.

The pilot had alerted authorities about engine issues shortly after departure from the Araracuara region, located around 350 kilometers (217 miles) away from the town of San Jose del Guaviare.

Tragically, the remains of the pilot, the children’s mother, and a local Indigenous leader were discovered at the crash site, where the plane was lodged almost vertically amidst the trees.

Authorities later revealed that the group had been escaping from threats posed by members of an armed group, shedding light on the circumstances surrounding their ill-fated journey.

Since the children went missing, an extensive search operation involving 160 soldiers and 70 Indigenous individuals with deep knowledge of the jungle had been underway, attracting global attention.

The region where the children were lost is inhabited by jaguars, snakes, and other predatory animals, as well as armed drug smuggling groups.

However, ongoing clues such as footprints, a diaper, and partially consumed fruit gave authorities hope that they were on the right path.

Concerned that the children might continue to wander, making it increasingly challenging to locate them, the air force dropped 10,000 flyers into the forest. The flyers contained instructions in both Spanish and the children’s own Indigenous language, urging them to stay in one place.

In addition to instructions, the leaflets provided crucial survival tips, and the military delivered food parcels and bottled water to aid the children in their survival.

Rescuers also took the initiative to broadcast a recorded message from the children’s grandmother, imploring them to remain stationary and await help.

After an arduous search effort, the military reported that the children were discovered approximately five kilometers (three miles) to the west of the crash site, bringing immense relief to all involved.

The Huitoto children, being part of the Huitoto Indigenous group, possess extensive knowledge of hunting, fishing, and gathering in the jungle. The children’s grandfather, Fidencio Valencia, shared with AFP that they are well-versed in navigating and surviving in the wilderness.

The news of the successful rescue coincided with President Gustavo Petro’s return from Cuba. During his visit, he had signed a six-month truce with the ELN, Colombia’s last active guerrilla group. The rescue brought a sense of joy and relief amidst the backdrop of this significant development in the country’s peace efforts.