A 14-year-old American Escaped Captors
Category: News Published on Tuesday, 13 December 2011 16:00 Written by Pinoy News Staff Writer Hits: 597
MANILA,Philippines--- After 5 months in captivity, an American boy escaped his kidnappers. Kevin Lunsmann, 14, made his escape by making an excuse that he wants to take a bath. When led to a river, he made a dash for his freedom Friday in the province of Basilan by following the river, said police Senior Supt. Edwin de Ocampo said.
He was in a jungle in the southern Philippines without shoes until he was noticed by the villagers late next day.
There was a chase by villagers until Kevin realized that he was safe with them. “He was in fear so there was a bit of a chase before the villagers convinced him that they were friends,” de Ocampo told The Associated Press. He was not sure if they were part of the group that kidnapped him, along with his Fil-Am mother, Gerfa Yeatts Lunsmann and a Filipino cousin. They were on an island near Zamboanga, vacationing with some relatives when they were captured July 12 and taken to Basilan on a boat. Aside from being exhausted and bruised on arms and feet, the boy is fine.
It was believed that the kidnappers have link to the Abu Sayyaf militant Puruji Indama, who is notorious for their beheadings and kidnappings, said Army Col. Ricardo Visaya.
His mother was released two months ago when she was dropped off on the wharf of Basilan. During that time the troops were hunting down the militants and there is a clashed with one group in the town of Akbar, which is near Lamitan. That might have distracted the kidnappers and gave Lunsmann a chance to escape.
The Filipino cousin later escaped from their captors last month when Filipino army forces managed to get near an Abu Sayyaf camp in the mountains of Basilan, about 550 miles (880 kilometers) south of Manila.
The boy declared that he escaped. “No, I really did it myself,” Kevin said. Usually kidnappers release their captive when ransom demands were met. It is not known if there was any exchanged of money.
Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat said he has been flown to Manila and turned over to U.S.officials there. U.S. Ambassador Harry Thomas said the boy would be reunited with his family soon.
On the island of Jolo, near Basilan is the jungle stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf and they are believed to be still holding in captive an Indian, a Malaysian and a Japanese in addition to the abducted 53-year old Australian, Warren Richard Rodwell, on Monday.