Netflix's The Lost Children ending explained: Were the children ever found?

Netflix's recently released Colombian documentary film, The Lost Children, explores the disappearance of four young kids after a tragic plane crash leaves them in the wilderness of the Amazon Rainforest. The documentary has picked the interest of many who have been discussing the events surrounding the plane crash, the efforts organized for the search, and the details surrounding how the children were eventually located.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Netflix's The Lost Children. Please read at your discretion.

After the plane crash, it was determined that all the adult passengers on board died, while the four Mucutuy children, who were missing from the crash site, were deemed to be still alive somewhere in the wilderness.

Two groups were then established to search for the children. One group consisted of officials from the Colombian government, while the other was made up of indigenous people from the Amazon rainforest. The Colombian authorities employed modern techniques to look for the children, whereas the indigenous Amazonian community used more traditional methods.

In the end, it can be considered that their collaborative efforts were successful, as they eventually managed to find the children. However, they were found in critical state. They were severely malnourished as well as devastated by all they had to endure, including losing their mother.

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How were the children eventually found in Netflix's The Lost Children?

As highlighted in Netflix's The Lost Children, after weeks of exploring the Amazon rainforest, Colombian authorities were close to abandoning their search for the children due to their limited resources. However, the indigenous communities from the region were determined to continue their efforts.

As a final attempt, they chose to conduct a local ritual that is performed in moments of great distress. This ritual involves offering a prayer to their supreme deity, Yage, through using ayahuasca, a highly potent psychedelic believed to lead people out of difficulties.

Witnessing the determination of the indigenous people, the Colombian authorities regained their faith and continued their efforts. Miraculously, the day after the aforementioned ritual took place, the children were found in a severely malnourished state.

Upon arriving at the location, officials discovered that the children, led by Leslie, the eldest of the four, had relocated very early after the crash, realizing that they would not survive if they stayed at the crash site. The authorities also learned that Leslie was responsible for their survival in the forest. This included gathering food and sometimes involved catching fish from the nearby waters, as detailed in The Lost Children.

Leslie also mentioned that she heard the sounds coming from the megaphones of a couple of helicopters flying overhead, presuming they were searching for them; however, she was unable to take any action or signal them any way as the helicopters did not stay put in a specific location for long.

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Where were the children in Netflix's The Lost Children placed after they were discovered?

As highlighted in Netflix's The Lost Children, after the Mucutuy children were rescued from the Amazon forest, they were put under the care of the faction of the Colombian government responsible for family welfare. The children were allowed to have visitors and were often visited by their family members and others from their village.

In a small excerpt from The Lost Children, it was highlighted by some of the local villagers that the children's father, Manuel Ranoque, was physically abusive and often tortured Magdalena, the children's mother, in front of them. Some of them believed that this was the reason the children remained hidden for an extended period of time, as they did not want to be found by their abusive parent.

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The Lost Children is currently streaming on Netflix.