Nelly Murillo is put on a trolley as she and her baby arrive in Quibdo, Colombia. Photo: Colombian Air Force

A mother and her infant son who disappeared in a plane crash in the dense jungles of northwestern Colombia several days ago have been found alive and well in what authorities call a "miracle".

Nelly Murillo, 18, and her son Yudier Moreno, not yet a year old, were found on Wednesday near the site where the Cessna 303 crashed in thick brush on Saturday.

"It's a miracle. It is a very wild area and it was a catastrophic accident," Colonel Hector Carrascal, commander of the Colombian Air Force in Antioquia department, told AFP.

Nelly Murillo clings to a rescuer after spending days in the jungle with her young child. Photo: Colombian Air Force

"His mother's spirit must have given him strength to survive."

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Murillo and her baby were taken by helicopter to a nearby hospital with minor injuries, said Carrascal, adding that he was stunned they were alive.

The plane's pilot, Captain Carlos Mario Ceballos, died in the crash and rescuers found his body in the aircraft.

They discovered the doors of the plane ajar and suspected that survivors may have clambered out.

A 14-person search-and-rescue team scoured the dense forest for several days before finding the mother and child.

AFP