Netflix’s recent releaseThe Lost Childrenis a Colombian documentary that tells the true story of four children trying to survive the vast Amazon rainforest after their plane crashes.This news was heard and followed by the people of Colombia and many parts of the world, all hoping that the children would be found before it was too late. Although the documentary was thorough and informative, some viewers were critical of one important detail that they felt wasn’t given the exposure it deserved — the story ofWilson, a Belgian Shepherdwho courageously took part in the search and rescue mission.
What Is ‘The Lost Children’ About?
The newest addition to the Netflix documentary libraryisThe Lost Children, which tackles survival, hope, and tragedy. In June 2023, it was reported that a plane going to Bogotá suddenly malfunctioned, causing it to crash in the Amazon — the world’s largest rainforest. The small plane carried a total of seven people, including four children:Lesly, 13, Soleiny, 9, Tien, 4, and Cristin Mucutuy, who was 11 months old at the time of the crash.
The adults were all killed, including the mother of the Mucutuy siblings, Magdalena, leaving the Mucutuy children to fend for themselves in dense rainforest with wild animals and harsh weather.
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In the documentary,we see how the community came together tofind the children as soon as possible, calling it Operation Hope. The Colombian military made groups to scour the Amazon more efficiently, and the Indigenous community, who have extensive experience with the area, joined in the effort.For weeks, people were desperate to find clues about the whereabouts of the children, and they were successful in finding a couple, such as a diaper, footprints, and a bottle. Finally,after 40 days of worry, the Mucutuy siblings were all found alive. What the documentary didn’t dive further into iswhofound them first.
Wilson Is a Hero in the Search and Rescue Mission for the Mucutuy Siblings
WhatThe Lost Childrenfailed to properly acknowledge is the fact that it wasn’t a person who found the Mucutuy siblings first — it was actually a brave dog.The documentary mentions him in passing, although the extent of his importance to Operation Hope is not explored. In actuality, Wilson the dog was the first one to find the siblings and kept them company for a bit. The children later told authorities about Wilson and how they felt hope after many days of merely wandering around the rainforest. It turns out that dogs can also be heroes just as much as humans. Wilson was one brave dog.He accompanied the Mucutuy children but once the volunteers found them, Wilson was nowhere to be found.
Following the discovery of the children, officials started a search and rescue mission for Wilson, too. If finding the children in an expansive area such as the Amazon already proved challenging, finding a dog would be even more so. Unfortunately, after a few weeks of searching, Wilson was never rescued. At this point, officials stated that it was unlikely that they would find the dog again. Wilson wasn’t a big character inThe Lost Children, and though the documentary mentioned him, the general public was dissatisfied with how little praise or honor his sacrifice was offered.Wilson’s contribution to this mission wasn’t given much justice in the documentary,meaning that viewers whose only knowledge of the tragedy isThe Lost Childrenwon’t fully understand what a difference he made.
‘The Lost Children’ Talks About Hope and Survival
Of course, apart from the heroic actions of Wilson, it’s also important to acknowledge the extensive contribution of the military officials and the Indigenous community, who tirelessly fought to bring the children home. These two communities have had a tense relationship for decades,but they, along with the public, came together with one goal: to save the Mucutuy siblings, and they achieved that goal.Everyone who was a part of the mission deserves to be appreciated.
The Lost Children
The Lost Childrenis available to watch on Netflix.
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