Four kids were stranded in a huge rainforest filled with dangers. Could they make it out alive?
WORD HUNT!
In the article, find:
WORD HUNT!
In the article, find:
Jim McMahon/Mapman ®
The Amazon spans nine countries.
On May 1, 2023, 13-year-old Lesly Mucutuy and her three siblings boarded a small plane with their mom in Colombia, in South America. Less than an hour into the flight, the plane’s engine failed. Then the unthinkable happened. The plane crashed in an isolated part of the Amazon.
The Amazon is the biggest rainforest in the world—filled with giant trees and menacing animals. Lesly, 9-year-old Soleiny, 4-year-old Tien, and 11-month-old Cristin were the only ones to survive the crash. Now they were stranded. They would have to fend for themselves.
It was May 1, 2023, in Colombia, a country in South America. Lesly Mucutuy, 13-years old, and her three siblings got on a small plane with their mom. The plane began its flight.
But less than an hour later, its engine failed. Then something terrible happened. The plane crashed in a remote part of the Amazon.
The Amazon is the biggest rainforest in the world. It’s filled with giant trees and menacing animals. Lesly, 9-year-old Soleiny, 4-year-old Tien, and 11-month-old Cristin were the only ones to survive the crash. Now they were stranded. They would have to take care of themselves.
Dangerous Land
Shutterstock.com
Poison frog
The Amazon is a place of great beauty. There you’ll find creatures, like pink river dolphins and giant otters, that don’t live anywhere else.
But the Amazon can also be treacherous. Huge, deadly snakes wrap around branches. Razor-toothed fish called piranhas swarm rivers. Black jaguars lurk in the shadows.
The hazards don’t end there. There are plants whose fruits can kill a person in minutes. And bright-blue frogs ooze poison. Only people with experience living in the Amazon know how to survive these perils.
The Amazon is beautiful. Pink river dolphins and giant otters live there.
These creatures—and other amazing animals—don’t live anywhere else.
But the Amazon can also be treacherous. Huge, deadly snakes wrap around branches. Sharp-toothed fish called piranhas swim in the rivers. Black jaguars hide in the shadows.
The hazards don’t end there. There are plants whose fruits can kill a person in minutes. And blue frogs ooze poison. Only people with experience living in the Amazon know how to survive these perils.
Rescued!
PM Images/Getty Images
Piranha
Thankfully, Lesly had this experience. The Amazon is home to 385 Indigenous groups. Lesly and her family belong to one of these groups, the Huitoto (wee-TOH-toh). Because of how she was raised, Lesly could identify fruits packed with nutrients and avoid those that would make her and her siblings sick. She made shelters for protection from bugs, rain, and heat.
Meanwhile, Colombia’s army searched for the kids with Indigenous experts and volunteers. Day after day, the rescue team found signs of life: diapers, shoes, hair ties. The whole world waited for news.
Finally, after 40 days lost in the Amazon, the siblings were found. They were hungry and tired. But they were healthy. Their family was overjoyed to welcome them home.
“They achieved an example of total survival that will go down in history,” said Colombia’s president.
Thankfully, Lesly had this experience. The Amazon is home to 385 Indigenous groups. Lesly and her family belong to one of these groups, the Huitoto (wee-TOH-toh). Because of how she was raised, Lesly knew which fruits were healthy. And she knew which ones would make them sick. She made shelters for protection from bugs, rain, and heat.
Meanwhile, Colombia’s army searched for the kids. Indigenous experts and volunteers joined the search. Day after day, the rescue team found signs of life. They saw diapers, shoes, and hair ties. The world waited for news.
Finally, after 40 days lost in the Amazon, the siblings were found. They were hungry and tired. But they were healthy. Their family was excited to welcome them home.
“They achieved an example of total survival that will go down in history,” said Colombia’s president.
PARAGRAPH POWER!
Write a paragraph to explain the dangers the Mucutuy siblings faced and how they survived.
PARAGRAPH POWER!
Write a paragraph to explain the dangers the Mucutuy siblings faced and how they survived.
This article was originally published in the February 2024 issue.
This article was originally published in the February 2024 issue.
