How five survived 36 hours in swamp surrounded by alligators after plane crash

Five people managed to survive 36 hours in a swamp filled with alligators after an air crash in the Bolivian Amazon.

Three women,a child,and the 29-year-old pilot were found sat on top of their capsized plane in the middle of a swamp.

They managed to survive by eating a local cassava flour that one of the passengers had brought on the trip.

The water was undrinkable as alligators quickly surrounded the group,and the aircraft’s petrol leaked into the swamp.

Pilot Andres Velarde said: ‘We couldn’t drink water and we couldn’t go anywhere else because of the alligators.’

The single-engine aircraft suddenly began to lose altitude after setting off flying from the town of Baures to the north-central city of Trinidad,180 kilometers away.

First photos of the survivors being rescued

(Picture: Bolivian Civil Defence)

Three women,and the 29-year-old pilot were found sat on top of their capsized plane in the middle of a swamp (Picture: Reuters)

Andrew looked for an open space to land but had to settle for a swamp near a lagoon.

The five found themselves ‘surrounded by alligators that came within three meters of us,’ Velarde said.

He added the kerosene leaking from the plane had kept the toothy predators at bay.

They also saw an anaconda in the murky waters.

They managed to survive by eating a local cassava flour that one of the passengers had brought on the trip (Picture: Reuters)

Despite this,they were all rescued in ‘excellent condition,’ said Wilson Avila,director of the emergency operations center in the Beni region.

The five were rescued after being spotted by local fishermen and taken to hospital.

People frequently use air taxis in the Beni area,due to the lack of paved roads and the poor maintenance of those that do exist.