American family missing in Brazilian jungle found safe after escaping pirates

SAO PAULO (AP) - It's unclear how a California couple and their two daughters escaped from pirates who attacked their boat in the Amazon River delta area.

Officials say the Harteaus were headed to Breves when gunmen boarded the boat they were on and forced it to go the city of Porto dos Dias. The crew and passengers were held hostage for several hours and stripped of their personal belongings before the pirates fled. There was no sign of the Harteaus when police arrived.

Friends and relatives think Adam and Emily Harteau and their 3- and 7-year-old daughters decided to flee the boat to get away from the pirates and have been walking in the jungle since.

Except for insect bites and scratches, the family is in good condition.

The Harteaus have been traveling the world since 2012, documenting their adventures on their "Our Open Road" blog and Instagram account.

The family's last Instagram post was from Oct. 27:

 

Recently Emily flew to Peru for work, while the girls and I went on a 500 mile 8 day road trip from Salvador de Bahia up the coast to Recife, Brazil. . It was a big challenge being the driver, navigator, solo parent, peace keeper, & chef- all in a foreign land, but it was a time I will never forget. We had a chance to bond on another level that I am truly grateful for. The first day we made it to the "hippy village" Arembepe where the likes of Janis Joplin and Mic Jagger spent time back in the day. Then we visited Projeto Tamar Sea Turtle Conservation Center. . Then we got stuck in the mud.

A post shared by Our Open Road (@ouropenroad) on Oct 27, 2017 at 5:01pm PDT