Helicopters Rescue Men From Jungle

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30398, 24 March 1964, Page 17

Helicopters Rescue Men From Jungle

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright)

LIMA, Marek 23,

United States helicopters, brought from the Canal Zone, have picked up 10 wounded and sick members of a survey party in the jungle of east Peru, after a week-long siege by savage Indians.

Peruvian Air Force planes flew overhead during the rescue operation to ward off more possible attacks by the Cuquima Indians, armed with poisoned arrows. The wounded were yesterday taken to Requena on the Ucayali river, and a Catalina flying-boat later flew them to Iquitos. The rescued all had been wounded or were suffering from exhaustion, Peruvian authorities said. They were part of a 65-man patrol which left the lumber town of Requena on February 21 to chart a road through the jungles and scout for smugglers. Two weeks ago the patrol was attacked by the Indians for the first time. The Defence Ministry said smugglers and cocaine planters in the jungles incited the attacks to protect their own illegal interests.

Air Force planes. Although for a time the Indians attacked almost daily, the Defence Ministry said no assaults were reported by radio for the last two days. Peruvian authorities asked United S .tes officials for help in extricating the casualties. Peruvian officials said the survivors of the original patrol plus the members of a 40-man column which reinforced it last week planned to chop their way through dense growth to the Yavari river, near the Brazilian frontiere. A gunboat will take the men back to civilisation.

Four Peruvian soldiers were killed and four others wounded before the Indians were repulsed by Peruvian