In a gripping tale of survival deep in the Bolivian Amazon, five people — including a child — spent 36 harrowing hours trapped in an alligator-infested swamp after their small plane was forced to make an emergency landing. Local authorities confirmed Friday that all passengers and the pilot were rescued in “excellent condition,” despite the life-threatening ordeal.
A Sudden Drop from the Sky
The single-engine aircraft was flying from Baures to Trinidad, roughly 180 kilometers away, when disaster struck. Pilot Andrés Velarde, 29, said from his hospital bed that the plane abruptly began losing altitude. With no solid ground in sight, he aimed for the only open area available — a swamp near a lagoon.
The landing flipped the aircraft, trapping its occupants in murky water teeming with predators.
Alligators Closed In — Then Stayed Back
According to Velarde, the group was literally surrounded by alligators. “They came within three meters of us,” he recounted. Miraculously, leaking kerosene from the aircraft may have kept the animals at bay. In the muddy water, the passengers also spotted an anaconda, adding to the terror.
With no clean water and no way to move without provoking the reptiles, the survivors hunkered down. Their only food? Cassava flour one passenger happened to be carrying.
“We couldn’t drink the water, and we couldn’t go anywhere because of the alligators,” Velarde said.
Rescued by Chance — Spotted by Local Fishermen
After a grueling 36 hours, local fishermen discovered the wrecked aircraft and alerted authorities. Rescue teams transported all five survivors to a hospital for treatment.
In the remote Beni region, where paved roads are scarce and poorly maintained, air taxis are a common lifeline — but as this incident showed, they come with risks that can turn a routine flight into an extraordinary fight for survival.