The survivors of the Chapecoense tragedy return to the crash site

The four Brazilians who survived the air tragedy of the football club Chapecoense returned to the mountain in northwest Colombia where the plane crashed, killing 71 people.

► Chapecoense defeated Atlético Nacional 2-1 in the first leg of the Recopa

"I needed to come here to see what happened (...) I knew it was difficult (to survive), but never this difficult, it was a miracle from God," said former goalkeeper Jackson Follmann, who lost part of his right leg after the accident on the fateful night of November 28, 2016.

Together with footballers Alan Ruschel and Helio Neto, and reporter Rafael Henzel, Follmann climbed Cerro Gordo, now called Cerro Chapecoense, where the Bolivian registered aircraft carrying them to Medellín to play the Copa Sudamericana final against Atlético Nacional crashed.

► Chapecoense and Atlético Nacional united to be one at Arena Condá [PHOTOS]

Two members of the Bolivian crew also survived the accident.

The mountain, located in the municipality of La Unión near Medellín, received them with a climate similar to the night of the tragedy: rain, cold, mud, and fog. Due to the difficulty of access, Follmann was assisted by members of the Colombian Red Cross, who helped him walk on the unstable surface.

At the site, the survivors met with rescuers, locals, and fans of Nacional and Chapecoense, with whom they experienced a moment of reflection.

"I have two birthdates: August 25 in Brazil, November 28 here, in Colombia, because we were born again, there is no other explanation," said Henzel to AFP.

Earlier in the morning, the survivors visited the San Vicente Foundation Hospital in Medellín to thank the medical team who treated them.

"There is a very good feeling, we want to thank everyone who helped us, there is nothing else to say, just the hug already says a lot," said Ruschel.

At night, they went to the central square of La Unión where hundreds of people paid tribute to them and prayed in memory of the deceased.

Relatives of the victims and the survivors received objects and belongings of the travelers that were found at the crash site.

Chapecoense will face Atlético Nacional in the second leg of the Sudamericana Recopa, which will be held at the Atanasio Girardot Stadium. The first leg ended 2-1 in favor of the Brazilians.

Source: AFP