Father of four rescued in Colombian jungle talks to CNN: “It’s a miracle”

(CNN) — Manuel Ranoc, the father of four who survived 40 days in the Colombian jungle after a small plane crash, told CNN Tuesday in Bogotá that his children’s story was a “miracle” and “rare.”

“This is an act of God. They lived by their own efforts and spiritual food,” Ranoc said in front of the cameras at the headquarters of the Organization of the Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon in the country’s capital.

The Mukkudui children, aged between 1 and 13, survived in the dense forest for more than a month after the small plane they were traveling in crashed on May 1. His mother, Magdalena Mukuduy Valencia, the plane’s pilot and another passenger were killed in the crash.

Ranok is the biological father of Mukkudu’s two younger children, ages 1 and 3, and stepmother to two older brothers.

“It’s been my dream the whole time,” Ranoke told CNN about seeing her children for the first time.

“By the time we found the children, we started seeing thunder and lightning. We left on time; After ten minutes, the helicopter could not pick us up,” he said.

Ranok says he is one of the last 16 people searching for the children after most rescue teams have stopped.

The father says indigenous cultural knowledge is key to finding children.

“We were technically outmatched because I don’t know how many planes came (to help with the rescue), but between us we decided to go into the field and we did it, we did it,” he says.

All four children are being treated at a Bogota hospital.

Miraculous recovery

The children’s disappearance deep in the jungle prompted a major military-led search operation involving more than 100 Colombian special forces soldiers and more than 70 indigenous scouts.

The forest where they were looking for the children lies between the departments of Guerrier and Caqueta, the border between the Amazon region in Colombia, a vast jungle region, and the eastern plains, sparsely populated areas that are difficult to access. Presence of rebel groups.

Days of searching that included aerial survival kits and voicemails from the children’s grandmother turned up only a few clues, including footprints, a dirty diaper and a bottle. Family members said the eldest daughter had some experience in the woods, but hopes faded as the weeks passed.

But then, the miracle happened: Lesly Mucutuy, 13 years old; Soleiny Mucutuy, 9 years old; Tien Noriel Ranoque Mucutuy who completed 5 years in the jungle and Cristin Neriman Ranoque Mucutuy who completed one year in the jungle appeared alive.