The extensive search and rescue mission, conducted by Colombian authorities for more than a month, came to a joyous conclusion when soldiers found the kids -- ages 13, 9, 4, and 11 months -- alive, but in "weak" condition. Combat medics are treating them, and they're all expected to recover.

Dramatic images of the rescue show the soldiers posing for photos with the children, who were swaddled in thermal blankets. The rescuers used winch line to load the youngsters into a helicopter, which whisked them to safety.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro held a news conference to commend the children on their survival skills, calling their saga historic.

This saga all started in the wee hours of May 1, when a small plane carrying six passengers and a pilot crashed after engine failure. Two weeks later, a team of searchers discovered the plane wreckage and bodies of the 3 adults who were on board, but the kids were MIA.

The Colombian army with the help of dogs and Indigenous tribe volunteers continued their hunt for the children ... hoping they'd found a way to stay alive. During the search, soldiers dropped boxes of food from helicopters into the forest, which might have allowed the kids to sustain themselves for so long.