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'We Didn't Sleep At All': 5 People Survive 36 Hours In Alligator-Infested Swamp After Plane Crash

May 5, 2025

In an extraordinary story of survival and teamwork, five people were rescued after spending 36 harrowing hours on top of a downed plane in an alligator-infested swamp in Bolivia's Amazon region.

Bolivia Ministry fo Defense

Local fishermen discovered the small aircraft in the Amazonas region on Friday, two days after it went missing. Authorities launched a search and rescue operation on Thursday when the plane disappeared from radar in Bolivia’s Beni Department.

Aboard the aircraft were three women, a child, and 29-year-old pilot Andres Velarde. Remarkably, all five survivors were found in "excellent condition," according to Wilson Avila, head of the Beni Department's emergency operations center.

Velarde told local media that engine failure forced him to make an emergency landing near the Itanomas River. During their flight from Baures to Trinidad, the plane began losing altitude rapidly, ultimately coming down in a swampy area near a lagoon.

Trapped and surrounded by danger, the group spent 36 hours atop the aircraft with alligators coming within three meters of them.

"We couldn't drink water and we couldn't go anywhere else because of the alligators," Velarde said. "We didn't sleep at all."

He believes that leaking fuel may have helped deter the predators. The group also spotted an anaconda nearby in the water.

They survived on local cassava flour brought by one of the passengers, waiting for help as wildlife loomed all around.

Their ordeal ended thanks to the sharp eyes of local fishermen and a swift response from emergency teams. A helicopter was dispatched to airlift the survivors to safety.

Ruben Torres, Director of the Beni Region Health Department, acknowledged the mystery surrounding the missing plane and the many theories that emerged.

“I am really happy because in the end all the institutions joined together to be able to find the missing people and save those lives,” he told Reuters.

Watch the video of the rescue below: