Five individuals endured over 36 hours in a swamp teeming with alligators following an emergency landing in the Bolivian Amazon, as reported by local authorities and the pilot.
All passengers—three women, a child, and the pilot—were rescued from the top of the overturned plane in “excellent condition,” stated Wilson Avila, director of the emergency operations center in the Beni region.
The aircraft was en route from the town of Baures to the north-central city of Trinidad, located 180 km away, when it encountered difficulties.
Andres Velarde, the 29-year-old pilot of the single-engine plane, shared with local media from his hospital bed that the aircraft unexpectedly began to lose altitude.
The five found themselves “surrounded by alligators that came within three meters of us,” Mr. Velarde noted, adding that he believed the kerosene leaking from the plane helped deter the aggressive reptiles.
They also spotted an anaconda in the muddy waters.
For sustenance, they consumed a local cassava flour brought along by one of the passengers.
“We couldn’t drink water, and we couldn’t move elsewhere because of the alligators,” Mr. Velarde explained.
The group was rescued after being located by local fishermen and subsequently taken to a hospital.
Air taxis are commonly utilized in the Beni area due to the absence of paved roads and the inadequate maintenance of those that do exist.
