Surgery for Chapecoense plane crash survivors Jakson Follmann, Alan Ruschel and Helio Neto

A 10-YEAR-OLD boy has been hailed as a hero after helping save footballer Alan Ruschel from the Colombian plane crash.

A 10-YEAR-OLD boy has been hailed as a hero after helping save Alan Ruschel from the wreckage of flight LMI-2933.

Ruschel, 27, was a survivor of the tragedy after being pulled from the wreck thanks to the vigilance of a local child.

According to reports by Efe, the young boy was first on the scene when the jet crashed on it’s way to the Copa Sudamericana final.

The Sun reports that he identified where the wounded were and told rescuers where they could be found in the difficult conditions.

Sergio Marulanda, a local resident who rushed with many others to the area, revealed to local media how the youngster helped direct the evacuation of Ruschel from the crash site.

Alan Ruschel plays as a defender for Brazilian football team Chapecoense. Picture: Splash

“When we parked, a child came and told us where the wounded were located.

“A policeman told me: ‘You’re the first to arrive, put the child in the truck and go to collect the wounded.”

Mr Marulanda drove his 4x4 over the difficult terrain in terrible weather to help with the rescue attempt and has been praised for his actions which has at least resulted in six people being saved.

The identity of the young hero hasn’t been revealed.

It came as The Sun reported that Chapecoense goalie Jakson Follmann had his leg removed following the crash that killed 71 people.

He is one of only three footballers from the top tier Brazilian team on board Flight LMI2933 to have survived.

Chapecoense reserve goalkeeper Jakson Follmann was the third survivor to be brought down the mountain and taken to hospital. Picture: Facebook

Alan Ruschel Snapchatted this image with Marcos Danilo before takeoff. Picture: Snapchat

Fellow goalkeeper Danilo was rescued from the rubble in the Cerro Gordo mountains but later died on his way to hospital.

Ruschel, a defender on loan to Chapecoense from Internacional, was the first player named as a survivor. He has undergone spinal surgery in hospital.

Brazil's Chapecoense player Helio Neto is helped by paramedics. Picture: AFP

Brazil's Chapecoense Helio Neto on the pitch during a Copa Sudamericana soccer game in Asuncion, Paraguay. Picture: AP

A snapchat video showing him with teammate and pal Danilo was posted online just before the crash.

A third team survivor, defender Helio Neto, is in intensive care receiving treatment for severe head and lung injuries.

Rescue workers place the bodies of victims of an aeroplane crash into a waiting helicopter, in La Union, near Medellin, Colombia. Picture: AP

It came as one of the survivors, Erwin Tumiri, told of the terrifying final moments before the plane went down.

“I put the bags in between my legs to form the foetal position that is recommended in the accidents,” Mr Tumiri told Fox Sports Argentina. “During the situation, many stood up from their seats and they started to shout.”

Meanwhile, experts are scouring the devastated scene to work out exactly what brought down the British-made BA146 plane.

Investigators from Colombia’s civil aviation authority will be joined by UK counterparts to scour the wreckage for clues.

Alan Ruschel, a defender for the Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense, is wheeled into a hospital in La Ceja, Colombia. Picture: AP

Seventy-one people were killed in what was the deadliest air disaster in the world this year.

They have already found the plane’s two black box recorders, which are currently being analysed.

Flight attendant Ximena Suarez survived the plane crash. Picture: Facebook

Crew member Erwin Tumiri spoke of the plane crash. Picture: Supplied

It has been claimed the plane may have run out of fuel as it approached Medellin international airport.

Electrical faults that were reported from the plane in its final moments may have emerged because the plane’s engines were starved of fuel.

A boy sits alone on the stands during a tribute to the players of Brazilian team Chapecoense Real who were killed in a plane accident in the Colombian mountains, at the club's Arena Conda stadium in Chapeco, in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. Picture: AFP

Photos from the crash site have helped back up this theory.

They appear to the show the engines’ rotor blades are intact and undamaged, suggesting they were switched off and not turning when the plane hit the ground.

Rescue workers carry the bodies of victims of an aeroplane crash in a mountainous area near La Union, Colombia. Picture: AP

It has also been reported that pilot Miguel ‘Micky’ Quiroga may have dumped fuel out of the plane’s tanks moments before it crashed to earth to prevent it going up in a deadly fireball.

The ‘hero’ airman also asked if the Brazilian football side, who were travelling over the border for a historic cup final, could be flown directly to the town of Medellin instead of having to stop over in Bolivia.

Journalist Rafael Valmorbida (pictured) also survived the plane crash. Picture: Facebook

But aviation authorities refused permission for a flight to take the direct route from Sao Paulo in Brazil to Medellin in Colombia.

It meant they were forced to fly to Bolivia to board the doomed plane.

Chapecoense defender Alan Ruschel confirmed as a survivor of the Colombia plane crash. Picture: Getty

There were 68 passengers and nine crew were on board flight LMI2933.

The Chapecoense squad, who had been described by coach Caio Júnior as “Brazil’s Leicester”, were on their way to the first leg of the final of the Copa Sudamericana in Colombia — a game tipped as the biggest in the club’s history.

They were travelling with a delegation of 21 journalists covering the match.

Brazilian Football club Chapecoense defender Alan Ruschel was one of the survivors of the crash. Picture: Facebook

Six people survived; the three Chapecoense players, journalist Rafael Valmorbida, flight attendant Ximena Suarez and flight technician Erwin Tumiri.

Earlier reports put the tragic death toll at 76, but this has been lowered since a Colombian officials revealed four passengers did not make the flight.

This article originally appeared in The Sun