Mother and Baby Found Alive 5 Days After Columbia Plane Crashed in the Jungle

 A mother and her infant son who disappeared in a plane crash in the dense jungles of northwestern Colombia several days ago were found alive and well in what authorities called a “miracle.” Nelly Murillo, 18, and her son Yudier Moreno, not yet one year old, were rescued yesterday.

“It’s a miracle. It is a very wild area and it was a catastrophic accident. His mother’s spirit must have given him strength to survive.” Colonel Hector Carrascal, the commander of the Colombian air force in Antioquia, told AFP news agency.

Murillo and her baby were taken by helicopter to a nearby hospital with minor injuries, said Carrascal, adding that he was stunned they were alive. “The lady has wounds and minor burns and apparently the child is unharmed,” the Colombian air force said in a statement.

The plane’s pilot, Captain Carlos Mario Ceballos, died in the crash and rescuers found his body in the aircraft. They discovered the doors of the plane ajar and suspected that survivors may have clambered out.

A 14-person search-and-rescue team scoured the dense forest before finding the mother and child. The plane was travelling between Nuqui and Quibdo in western Colombia when it crashed.

Investigators were looking at the cause.