Mother and three children survive 34 days in Peruvian jungle by ‘eating berries’

‘If we didn’t have water every 30 minutes, we’d faint ... The girls couldn’t walk anymore,’ woman says

Rescue teams transport the mother and children off the hovercraft after they were found in a jungle between Peru and Colombia (Noticias Caracol)

A mother and her three children have been found alive after getting lost in a jungle between Peru and Colombia, and surviving on wild berries and fruits for 34 days.

The family – the 40-year-old woman and her offspring aged 14, 12 and 10 - were reported missing on 19 December.

Colombian navy commander Sergio Alfredo Serrano told local media: “They were on holiday in the region when they went to meet the children’s father and became lost, remaining 34 days as missing.”

While lost, the group followed the Putumayo River until they unknowingly crossed into Peru, reports said.

Members of the Secoya indigenous group, near the village of Yubito, reportedly found the family members and alerted the Peruvian navy, who then contacted their Colombian counterparts.

The family was then transported by hovercraft 110 miles upriver to Puerto Leguizamo in southern Colombia.

They were taken to the ESE Hospital Maria Angelines to be treated for malnourishment, dehydration and minor injuries. They will also be tested for diseases carried by mosquitoes including malaria and yellow fever.

According to Colombian broadcaster Noticias Caracol, the unnamed mother said after they were rescued: “If we didn’t have water every 30 minutes, we’d faint. We had to keep stopping all the time and the girls couldn’t walk anymore.”

Mr Serrano said the mother had confirmed that the family survived by eating berries, fruit, seeds and “whatever else they could find”.

“We hope there will not be any complications and we will keep you informed about the family’s health situation,” he added.