MAGDALENA Mucutuy Valencia was a mother-of-four, whose four children survived a plane crash in Colombia and lived in the rainforest for forty days.
The dramatic events, which sadly led to Magdelena’s death, are explored in the new Netflix documentary The Lost Children.
Magdalena’s children survived the crashGetty Images
The search for Magdalena’s children was helped by fellow Huitoto peopleAFP
A fatal accident
Magdalena lived in Colombia and had four children at the time of her death.
Her children are named:
Lesly Jacobombaire Mucutuy: 13-years-old at the time of the crash
Soleiny Jacobombaire Mucutuy: 9-years-old at the time of the crash
Tien Ranoque Mucutuy: 4-years-old at the time of the crash
Cristin Ranoque Mucutuy: 1-year-old at the time of the crash
Magdalena had her two youngest children with Manuel Ranoque, who she was flying to meet on May 1, 2023.
That day, the plane’s engines failed and the aircraft crashed into the Amazon rainforest while carrying Magdalena and her four children.
Magdalena reportedly survived for four days, following the crash before sadly passing away.
The two pilots on the plane also sadly passed away.
According to Ranoque, Lesly said that her mother’s final words were a cry for the children to get to safety.
He said: “The only thing that she clarified is that the mother was alive for four days.
“Before she died… she told them ‘Go!’ And you will find out what your dad is made of… and what your father’s love is like.”
Magdalena’s children survived
Magdalena’s children survived for forty days in the rainforest.
Lesly fed her youngest sibling, Cristin, using spare baby bottles that were onboard the crashed plane.
Magdalena’s family were members of the Huitoto indigenous who passed on their immense knowledge about the rainforest onto Lesly.
She used this to find fruit and vegetables that were not poisonous and to avoid dangerous rainforest animals.
Lesly also used tarpaulin and hair ties, found on the plane, to construct a shelter for the family.
Madalena’s children were found after a nationwide searchReuters
Magdalena’s children are rescued
After a nationwide search, which involved the Colombian army, Huitoto groups and volunteers, the children were finally rescued.
They were flown to hospital in Bogota, where Colombia’s Defense Minister Ivan Valasquez confirmed that they were recovering.
He also credited Lesly’s upbringing for helping the children survive.
He said: “It is thanks to [Lesly], her value and her leadership, that the three others were able to survive, with her care, her knowledge of the jungle.
“In general the children, the boy and the girls are in an acceptable state, according to the medical reports they are out of danger.”
Magdalena’s partner, Ranoque, was arrested shortly after the children’s rescue because of allegations of abuse.
Magdalena was flying to meet her husband Manuel RanoqueAFP
The Lost Children
A documentary about Magdalena’s children will air on Netflix.
The show, named The Lost Children, will land on the streaming platform on November 14, 2024.
The documentary’s director, Orlando Von Einsiedel, said that he wanted to highlight the Mucutuy’s children “incredible human resilience and strength”.
He added that he wanted to show how “Indigenous rescuers and the military” were able to “overcome mistrust and fear” to rescue the children.
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