The 1972 Andes plane crash of Flight 571 is a true survival story that shocked the world. Trapped in the frozen Andes mountains, the survivors of this tragic plane crash faced unimaginable conditions in one of history’s most incredible survival tales.
In 1972, a plane carrying 45 passengers crashed in the towering, snowy Andes Mountains. Some passengers miraculously survived, but they faced the task of surviving in harsh conditions. The cold was bitter, the weather difficult, and there was no sign of life in this remote place, far from any necessities for living. There were no food sources around them. The little food that was on board the plane ran out, and here they were forced to make a difficult decision: eat each other to survive. The situations and conditions the passengers went through were harder than anything imaginable, yet they continued to struggle and cling to survival.
The Survival Story of a Uruguayan Rugby Team: The Journey to Chile
The events of the story begin in October 1972. The protagonists of the story are a rugby team from Uruguay, most of them university students in their early twenties. They were amateurs and invited to a match in Chile. The trip was short, lasting four days, and they had to rent a plane at a reasonable price due to their limited money.
Flight 571: A Journey Ending in Disaster
Flight 571 was chosen, a medium-sized plane with a capacity for about 50 people. After the team sent a list of their names to the pilot, he told them there was room for ten additional people. Some team members decided to bring their families. In total, the number of passengers on the plane reached 45 people, including the pilot, co-pilot, and flight crew.
Nando Parrado: A Pillar of Hope and His Family's Companion
Young Nando Parrado was one of the team members. He would play a major role in the story, and he can be considered the main character. Nando was one of those who brought their families, so he decided to bring his mother and sister with him to Chile, believing it would be a pleasant trip. He did not know that what awaited them was worse than anything imaginable.
Flight Diverted to Mendoza Due to Bad Weather
Their journey began on Thursday, October 12, 1972, from Montevideo, Uruguay, to Santiago, Chile. The plane was supposed to cross over the Andes Mountains, but due to the weather conditions that day, the pilot decided to land in Mendoza, Argentina, which is located just before the Andes. They spent that night in Argentina.
Resuming the Journey on October 13: Plane Defects and Pilot Error
The next morning, Friday, October 13, they decided to continue the journey. The plane, a "Fairchild FH-227," was considered one of the worst planes in terms of design, and its engines were so weak that a third of the planes of this type had accidents. The passengers did not know that. The biggest cause of the accident that would happen to them was pilot error.
Heading South to Cross the Andes: Passengers Enjoying and Seat Swapping Moment
The team boarded the plane and the journey began again on Friday, October 13. The pilot had decided to head south, and at the end of the Andes mountain range, he would turn west to cross the mountains through a low pass. Then they would pass through the city of Curicó and from there to Santiago. The team on board the plane was enjoying themselves and in high spirits. Nando was sitting by the window and swapped his seat with his friend Pancho Abal.
The Pilot's Fatal Error: Premature Announcement of Arrival at Curicó
The plane reached the southern end of the Andes, and the pilot turned west towards Curicó. The plane was scheduled to arrive in Curicó at 3:33 PM, but the pilot contacted Santiago airport and informed them that they were currently over Curicó at 3:25 PM, about eight minutes early. This error was fatal: the plane had not yet reached Curicó, but was still over the Andes Mountains. The pilot, believing he was over Curicó, turned north, thinking he was heading to Santiago, but he was actually turning over the Andes and continued to go deeper into them north.
Violent Air Turbulence and Approaching Collision
Visibility was difficult due to the Andes Mountains and their terrain. The plane began to shake due to strong winds. The flight attendant asked the passengers to sit down and fasten their seatbelts. The pilot and co-pilot tried to descend the plane below the clouds to reduce the severity of the turbulence, believing they had passed the mountains. But they were descending towards the mountains themselves. The more they descended, the stronger the winds and air currents became, and the more the plane shook. The passengers began to feel fear.
The Catastrophe Revealed: The Plane Heading for Collision
As soon as the plane descended below the cloud cover, the pilot and co-pilot were surprised by the towering mountains in front of them. Even the passengers saw the mountains from the windows. This is where the real horror began. The pilot and co-pilot tried to push the plane's engines to their maximum power to rise above the mountains, but the weakness of its engines prevented it from gaining altitude at the required speed. The plane was heading for a collision with the mountain. The pilot saw a small opening in the mountain and decided to try to pass through it, but the plane could not gain altitude at the required angle, so it crashed.
The Moment of the Crash: Loss of Tail and Wings and Miraculous Survival
In an instant, the tail and wings broke off. Most of the plane's body disappeared, and only the front part remained. At that moment, a number of passengers flew out with the broken parts, especially those in the back. The front part continued to slide on the snow, and the remaining passengers inside clung to their lives. The slide was not smooth; the chairs flew and collided with each other, and the passengers' bodies collided with each other. The situation was tragic.
Survivors After the Crash: 33 People Face New Challenges
Despite all this, they were lucky that the plane did not completely break apart. The pilot's last attempt to pass through the bend in the mountain saved the front of the plane, and the somewhat smooth slide of the front part on the snow saved the lives of a large number of them. This was amazing in itself, as the initial crash only resulted in the death of 12 people out of the 45. After the crash, 33 people were still alive, but some of them had severe injuries.
Bitter Cold and Scattered Bodies: Attempts to Help the Injured
The survivors who could move got out of the plane and began to see the place around them. The weather was bitter, towering mountains, storms, and snow stretching as far as the eye could see. They were at an altitude of 3600 meters, and none of them were used to snow. Those who were in better condition began to help the injured. The situation was tragic: dead, unconscious, broken, and severely injured. Nando was one of the unconscious people, and the others were not sure if he was alive, so they took his body and placed it at the end of the plane's fuselage to make room for the survivors inside. His mother was among those who died, and his sister was severely injured.
Misjudgment of Location: Survivors on the Eastern Side of the Andes
The pilot was among those who died. The co-pilot was severely injured and breathing his last. The survivors tried to talk to the injured co-pilot, but he was in a pitiful state. They knew that the only person who could tell them their location was the co-pilot. He kept telling them that they had passed Curicó, the city they thought they had reached. Of course, they had not reached it. But when he told them that, they thought they were on the western side of the Andes Mountains. In reality, the plane crashed on the eastern side of the Andes Mountains, meaning towards Argentina.
"Valley of Tears": Loss of Hope After Search Called Off
The place where the plane crashed was so far from any sign of civilization that it had no name, and it would later be called "Valley of Tears" due to the plane crash and the victims. After the co-pilot told them that they had passed Curicó, he could not hold on and died. The survivors tried to use the plane's radio to communicate, but it was not working. They knew that they had to adapt to the situation quickly and protect themselves from the harsh conditions. They took out bags and clothes from the plane. The first night was very bad, as the crash was around 3:30 PM, and after only half an hour, the sun set, so they faced the bitter night directly.
The First Bitter Night: 5 New Deaths and the Challenge of Survival
During the first night, five additional people died, including the co-pilot. Some died due to injuries, and some from the severe cold. Now, 28 people remained alive. The next day, with the sunrise, they felt some warmth, but it was not real warmth. The survivors removed the bodies of the people who died during the last night to make more space for themselves inside the fuselage.
Food Problem: Sardines and Chocolate Run Out
The second disaster was food. They had no food. All they had on the plane were some canned sardines, chocolate bars, and biscuits. They shared them among themselves, and it was not enough for anyone. Even with their attempts to be extremely economical with what they had, it only lasted for a few days.
Nando Parrado Returns to Life: The Cold of the Ice Saves Him
On the third day, Nando, who they thought was dead, began to move. He had been placed at the end of the plane, close to the outside, so his body was exposed to the bitter cold. Nando had an internal brain hemorrhage. According to modern medical doctors, the best way to save a person with an internal brain hemorrhage is to place them in a very low temperature. What Nando's friends did when they placed his body at the end of the plane's fuselage near the exit is likely what saved his life. The extreme cold saved him from the internal brain injury.
Regaining Consciousness and the Shock of Bad News: Mother's Death and Sister's Injury
When Nando began to recover, he tried to understand what was happening around him. His friends called him. They did not consider that he had just woken up from a coma, and they threw the bad news at him directly. They told him that the plane had crashed, that his mother had died, and that his sister was severely injured. Nando understood everything quickly. He asked about his sister, and they pointed to her; she was close to him and looked very tired. Nando approached her and tried to comfort her. At that moment, he felt great guilt because he was the one who brought them with him. His sister was only 17 years old.
Scene of Despair: Mountain Peaks and Endless Snow
After Nando regained his balance, he got out of the plane's fuselage and began to look around, and he was shocked. There was nothing as far as the eye could see but mountain peaks and endless snow. There was no sign of life, not even animals live here. Everyone hoped that there would be search and rescue operations underway. And indeed, three countries were participating in the search operations: Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile. The search area was large, and the weather conditions there were always difficult.
Difficulty of Vision from Above: White Plane on White Snow
The plane was white, and a plane on white snow. Search planes, in order to search over these mountains, must fly at very high altitudes, which makes visibility even more difficult. The survivors heard the sounds of helicopters flying above them, and they saw some of them from a distance. Despite their attempts to attract the attention of the planes, no one noticed them.
Continuing Hope Then Despair: Sister's Death
The families of the plane's passengers were waiting for any news about their children. Some of them lost hope after days passed without finding them or the plane's wreckage. The idea of them surviving the initial crash was insane in itself, let alone after several days. The idea of survival amidst these mountains and bitter cold was like madness, so many families lost hope. But the players themselves did not lose hope and continued to hope that one of the search planes would spot them. But their conditions were getting worse every day. Nando always tried to stay by his sister's side and alleviate her suffering, but her injuries were too severe for her to survive. During the fifth or sixth day, his sister died, and the number of survivors dropped to 27 people.
Day Ten: Search Operations Halted and Hunger Gnawing at Survivors
Days continued to pass, and with each day they lost more hope. They reached the peak of despair on the tenth day. They had a small radio, and one of them had some experience with radio devices, so he was able to make an antenna, and they were able to pick up some radio stations. Through this radio, they were able to follow the news of the search for them. On the tenth day, they heard in the news that the search operations for them had stopped, and that they could not be found. This stripped them of all remaining hope. The problem was that hunger began to gnaw at them.
The Food Problem Worsens: Eating the Bodies of Friends
As for drinking and water, they solved the problem easily. They used metal sheets from the plane's seats and put ice in them, and using sunlight and its reflection on the metal, they were able to melt the ice and turn it into water. But their real problem was food. The little food they had ran out days ago, so they had no source of food left. They even tried to eat luggage leather or plastic, but they were just desperate attempts. And here the idea that many feared began to emerge: eating the bodies of their friends who had died. The idea was not only frightening, but terrifying to all of them. Most of them completely rejected the idea at first, and a few of them accepted it reluctantly and began trying to convince the rest.
Accepting the Difficult Decision: Nando Parrado, His Mother, and Sister Remain
It was clear that there was no other way to survive. Either they died or they ate their friends. There was no third option. Some rejected the idea for reasons, and others because they could not stomach eating human flesh. A normal person living in normal conditions cannot imagine himself eating human flesh, but at the same time, he cannot imagine the situation of a person who needs to survive and has no other way. Accepting the idea was not easy for them, even when they were on the verge of death, but each of them knew that there was no other way to survive. Due to the bitter cold, all the bodies were in excellent condition, not decomposed. They needed tools to cut the meat, so they used plastic from the plane windows to make knives.
Living with Reality: Eating Raw Meat and Documenting the Experience
They would take small pieces of meat. Sometimes they would cook the meat, but due to the scarcity of firewood and flammable materials, they rarely managed to light a fire. Most of the time they ate raw meat. They ate feeling disgusted with themselves, but when this meat entered their bodies and their bodies felt nourished and re-energized, their minds understood that this was the only way to survive. To cope with this, they made a pact: if any of them died, they allowed the rest to eat their body. They took real photos of themselves with a camera they had, and in some photos, parts of their friends' bodies can be seen on the ground next to them. With days, they began to get used to this.
A New Disaster: Avalanche Strikes the Plane Fuselage
Days passed and they remained on the same routine, trying to cling to any hope of survival. They had no specific goal other than survival. But they did not know that a new disaster would strike them. The Andes Mountains, due to their height and the amount of snowfall on them, experience many avalanches. The disaster was that the place where the plane's fuselage was located was like a valley, surrounded by mountains from all directions, meaning it was exposed to any avalanche. On approximately the fifteenth day, the weather conditions began to worsen, and large amounts of snow began to fall.
Buried Under Snow and Miraculous Survival Again
They remained protected inside the plane's fuselage, and they even built a wall using bags and belongings to cover the opening of the fuselage. The snow continued to fall heavily for approximately three days. The more snow accumulated, the higher the probability of avalanches. On the night of the eighteenth day, as they were sitting inside the plane's fuselage, they suddenly heard a sound like an explosion, it was the sound of thunder. This sound occurs when an avalanche begins. Then, they felt a tremor in the ground, and the ground shook. At that moment, the avalanche broke into the plane's fuselage, and they were all buried under huge amounts of snow. The situation turned into chaos in an instant.
New Death, Source of Survival: 8 Deaths Provide Food
Some were completely buried under the snow to the extent that they could not move. Some were only partially buried and were able to move slightly. Those who could move began to help the buried and injured. The avalanche caused the death of eight of them, so the number of survivors decreased from 27 to only 19 people. The death of these eight was a blessing in itself, as it provided the rest with an additional food source.
Plane Fuselage, Survivors' Shelter: Exploration Challenges
The plane's fuselage was half-buried under the snow after they got out, but the snow began to melt slowly, and they themselves began to remove the snow from the fuselage and clean it from the inside. The fuselage was for them like a home or shelter, the only place they could take refuge in. They tried to explore the surrounding area, especially searching for the plane's tail, believing it might contain supplies. But their attempts always failed.
Inventing Snowshoes: Enabling Movement on Snow
They could not move far from the fuselage. The first reason was the depth of the snow, their feet would sink into it, and walking was very difficult. In addition, the weather conditions were volatile, and snowstorms would suddenly blow. Without clothes or tools to protect them, progress in any direction was very difficult and dangerous. Even their eyes were burning because they had nothing to protect them. All their initial attempts to explore the surrounding areas were unsuccessful.
Nando Parrado: Group Leader and New Exploration Journey
The biggest problem they faced was their feet sinking into the snow, which made walking difficult. Here, they began to think of solutions. In situations like this, in order to survive, you must start inventing things and tools to help you. After brainstorming, they came up with the idea of using foam from plane seats with belts to make snowshoes. These shoes were effective in walking on snow, so their feet no longer sank easily. This invention was reached after about a month from the beginning of the journey of suffering. During this month, many considered Nando Parrado the leader, as he was the most eager to survive, and always tried to motivate them.
Discovery of the Plane's Tail: A New Glimmer of Hope
On that day, after trying the snowshoes and feeling that they would allow them to move longer distances, Nando and two of his friends, Roberto and Antonio, began a new exploratory journey. They chose a day when the weather was somewhat clear and the sun was shining. The movement began. The plan was to try to move as far away from the plane as possible and return on the same day. They continued walking down the valley, and after climbing a relatively small hill, they saw the plane's tail from a distance. They headed to it to explore it from the inside.
Booty from the Plane's Tail: Chocolate, Camera, and Batteries
Inside the plane's tail, they found some bags, and a small box of chocolate. Among the other things they found was this camera, which is the camera they used to take the photos that would document their survival journey amidst these mountains. They also found 24-volt batteries that were installed in the plane's tail. And here, an idea came to their minds: they remembered when they first tried to use the plane's radio to communicate. They thought that perhaps the battery in the radio was faulty, and they could use this battery to power the plane's radio again.
Attempting to Operate the Radio and Failure Renews Despair
In order to reach the tail, Nando and his friends walked a greater distance than they expected. They felt that it was getting late, so they decided to spend that night in the plane's tail. The next morning, after sunrise, they returned with spoils for their friends who were waiting for them at the plane's head. After their return with the battery, they began trying to connect it to the plane's radio. The person who had some experience with radio devices was Roy Harley. But it was complicated, how would they connect the wires to the battery and make the radio work? It was something almost impossible without real knowledge of these matters.
Nando Urges Not to Despair and to Document the Journey with Photos
Unfortunately, although they made a lot of effort and attempts with the radio, it did not work. This broke them and made them feel more despair. Nando, although he was broken himself, tried to instill some hope in them. He used to tell them: "As long as we are alive, we must not despair and keep trying to find a way to survive." Nando was also the one who came up with the idea of using the camera and documenting their survival journey with photos. He used to tell them: "Even if we don't survive, perhaps after a few years or even 100 years, someone might find the wreckage of the plane and find these photos, and they will know that we remained alive."
Two Months Pass: Only 16 Survivors and Continued Eating of Bodies
Days and weeks continued to pass. Almost two months had passed since the day of the crash. Of the remaining 19, a number of them were injured, some since the moment of the first crash. The situation was getting more difficult, and survival became harder. Three more died during that month, and the number of survivors decreased from 19 to 16 people. This means that out of 45 people who were on board the plane, only 16 remained. Most of the bodies of those who died were eaten by the living. Only a few bodies remained, including the bodies of Nando's mother and sister.
Decision to Move: Risking the Unknown Ocean
Nando always told his close friend Roberto that they had to get out of this place. All directions around them were terrifying, as they were in the middle of a vast ocean whose end they did not know. The plane's fuselage was like a small boat that protected them from this ocean, so their fear of leaving the boat was terrifying. This is what prevented them from moving. But after more than two months without any new glimmer of hope, the only option became to move from their location. Everyone was afraid of this.
Misunderstanding the Location: Believing to Be on the Western Side of the Andes
The only idea they had was that they were currently on the western side of the Andes Mountains. They remembered that the co-pilot, before he died, told them that they had passed the city of Curicó, which is located on the western side, on the Chilean side. Therefore, they thought they were in this area. But in reality, they were closer to the eastern side. They always thought that if they moved from this place, they should head west because it was closer to civilization and cities.
Nando Convinces Roberto and Antonio: The Point of No Return Journey Begins
In fact, the east was closer, and on the west side, there was a high mountain in front of them, while in the east, there was a valley. Going down the valley was easier than climbing the mountain. But they believed that if they headed east, they would face higher and more difficult mountains. They did not know their real location. They did not know that if they had headed east, they would have found a hotel about 20 kilometers from their location, and there were no high or towering mountains between them and this hotel. Nando wanted to get out of this place at any cost, but the rest of the group hesitated. Nando tried to convince them, and Roberto and Antonio finally agreed.
The Arduous Climb of the Mountain: False Peaks and Disappointment
The three who went out and found the plane's tail are now embarking on a journey to find new hope. This will be a point of no return journey; either they reach safety or die on the way. They made all their preparations, and the rest of the group provided all possible support. They allocated them a larger portion of food and a large sleeping bag made of heat-insulating materials. The trio Nando, Roberto, and Antonio set off on their difficult journey on December 12, 1972. The last words Nando said to his friends at the plane were that if the food ran out and they had to use his mother's and sister's bodies, he allowed them to do so.
The Great Shock: Snow Mountains Stretch as Far as the Eye Can See
The three headed west, and in front of them was a large mountain. They believed it was the biggest obstacle in front of them. They thought that once they reached its summit, they would be able to see green valleys and cities or villages on the Chilean side. They began to climb the mountain, and it was an arduous and exhausting process. At high altitudes, breathing is difficult due to the lack of oxygen. With every step, they faced the risk of slipping. They tried to climb the rocky parts, which required high strength and fitness. Finally, they reached the summit, or so they thought. The summit in front of them was what is called a "false summit." This crushed their morale, but the place was suitable for spending the night.
Surrendering to Despair Then Renewed Hope: Nando Urges Roberto
The next day, the three continued the arduous climb. Their friends in the plane's fuselage could still see them climbing as "small dots" from afar. After the three climbed higher on the mountain, Roberto noticed something from a distance that looked like a street or a road, but it was on the eastern side. He pointed to his friends and asked them, but Nando refused to turn back. What Roberto saw was a road used by people, but it was on the eastern side, and they could have reached it if they had headed east. But they continued to believe that they were closer to the west.
Separating from Antonio: Nando and Roberto Continue Alone
The climb was very exhausting and took much longer than they expected. They thought they would only need one day to reach the summit, but due to the false summit and the difficult path, it took them three days. The hope that pushed them to continue climbing was to see the green valleys and villages or cities on the western side. But the biggest shock was when they reached the summit and saw snow mountains stretching as far as the eye can see. No fields, no green valleys, no cities, no villages, and no signs of life. The amount of despair they felt at that moment is indescribable.
10 Days of Arduous Journey: Reaching the Line of Salvation
Nando, despite his despair, turned to his friend Roberto and told him: "Let's continue, whatever happens, happens. Either we reach safety or we die on the way trying." Roberto, although he was at the peak of despair at that moment, felt energy return to him and said: "You're right, my friend, we've come this far, let's continue. Whatever happens, happens. Either we live together or we die together." Here, Nando decided that being three slowed their movement, and their provisions had greatly decreased. So he asked Antonio to return to the plane.
Discovering Life: Cow, Trees, Grass, and Water
Antonio descended from the mountain, and his friends at the plane saw him. He told them what happened, and that Nando and Roberto continued alone and nothing would stop them but death. Nando and Roberto continued walking west. They descended from the mountain they were on top of, but from the other side. Below the mountain, there was one path extending between the mountains, and they decided that this was the path they would take. The mountains around them were towering, but luckily for them this time, they did not have to climb any of these mountains. Their arduous journey between the mountains continued for ten days.
Meeting Sergio Catalán: The Distress Call Saves Them
After ten days, they reached the line that was for them the line of salvation, the line where the snow ended and life began. The joy and happiness they felt are impossible to describe. They began walking in the green valleys they had dreamed of. Finally, they felt they had returned to life. Even on their way, they saw a cow, and they told themselves that there were humans nearby. They were still in the wilderness, but they felt they were getting closer. They saw trees, grass, flowers, and even water.
Successful Rescue Operation: Survivors Return to Their Families
During these ten days, Nando and Roberto walked more than 60 kilometers until they reached the place where they are now. Even after reaching the green valleys, they spent one last night in the open. The next morning, they continued their journey and reached a river. The surprise was a man riding a horse on the opposite bank. They began screaming at him and pointing to him. Communication was difficult due to the wide river and the sound of rushing water. The man took a paper and a pen, tied them to a stone, and threw them to the other bank towards Nando and Roberto. Nando took the paper and pen and began to write a message explaining their situation.
Reunion and Overwhelming Joy: The Nightmare Ends
Nando wrote: "We are from a plane that fell in the mountains. We are from Uruguay. We have walked ten days. At the plane's fuselage, there are still 14 injured people waiting for rescue. We have no food and need help as soon as possible. Please help us, we can't even walk." Nando threw the message to the man on the other bank. The man seemed shocked as he read what was written. After reading it carefully two or three times, he signaled to Nando that he understood the situation, and told them to stay in their place, and that he would bring help. Before leaving, he took a piece of bread and cheese and threw them towards Nando and Roberto. This bread and cheese was the first non-human food they had tasted in the past two months.
72 Days of Survival: A Timeless Global Story
It took the man on the horse long hours to bring help. The place they were in was far from civilization and cities. The journey to deliver the news to the authorities and police took about ten hours. But finally, this man returned with a number of soldiers, and the soldiers were able to rescue Nando and Roberto. Their condition was pitiful; their appearances showed the fatigue and suffering they had endured. Journalists took photos and footage as soon as the news arrived.
Return to Warmth: Survivors Contact Sergio Catalán
In the photos, we see Roberto on the right and Nando on the left, and in the middle, the man on the horse, their savior, whose name is Sergio Catalán. Even the journalists did not give them time to breathe, and began interviewing them. One of them asked: "How did you survive all this time? What were you eating?" Roberto was about to answer, but Nando intervened and told the journalist that he would not answer that question. The journalists were not polite.
Documenting the Experience and Lasting Friendships
The soldiers and security forces tried to find out the location of their friends from Nando and Roberto. They brought them a map to help them pinpoint the location. Nando was familiar with the location, because throughout the ten days they spent walking between the mountains, he kept focusing on the directions they were walking in. Nando pointed to the location where he believed the plane was. They told him that this location was on the Argentine side, on the eastern side of the mountains.
Inspiring Hope: Survivors Communicate with Their Friends
The distance Nando and Roberto walked between the mountains was about 60 kilometers. The authorities and police could not comprehend how two people so weak and emaciated could have covered all this distance, so they were skeptical about the location. But Nando kept assuring them that this was the location. Their remaining friends at the plane had been waiting impatiently for the past ten days. Some of them had lost hope and thought that Nando and Roberto had died on the way. But at the same time, they were following the news on the radio. One cannot imagine their joy when they heard on the radio the news of Nando and Roberto being found. They knew they would finally be rescued.
The Last Rescue Moment: 14 More Survivors
The authorities and police called for helicopters to begin the rescue operation. The helicopter pilots asked Nando for the location again, and Nando pointed to the same location on the map. The pilot told him: "It will be difficult for me to find them alone. I need you to come with me." And although Nando was tired, he agreed. Nando boarded one of the helicopters and began flying with them as they tried to retrace the path they had come from. The weather that day was somewhat clear.
Seeing the Fuselage from the Air: A Miracle of Discovery
Flying at these high altitudes was difficult for the helicopters. The plane was shaking terrifyingly. Finally, the helicopters passed the high mountain in front of them, which was the same first mountain that Nando and Roberto had climbed. And Nando kept pointing down and saying that the plane's fuselage was below them. The fuselage was white, and everything around them was white, so it was impossible to see it. Even Nando and the helicopter pilots could not see the plane's fuselage and the rest of the survivors until they descended to a very close altitude to them. If Nando had not known the place and the terrain, it would have been impossible to find them.
72 Days of Suffering: Final Salvation
The helicopters landed at the plane's wreckage site, and finally they saw the rest of the group below pointing at them and flying with joy. Real photos were taken from a camera on the helicopter at the moment they were found. All of Nando's 14 friends who remained at the wreckage were rescued. This day, December 22, 1972, no one will forget. It is strange that the number of days they spent from the moment of the plane crash until their rescue is 72 days, which is the same as the year number.
Their Story Spreads Globally: The Cannibalism Controversy
The remaining 14 survivors, along with Nando, reached safety. Their condition was pitiful. Each of them had lost 30 to 40 kilograms of weight, but joy was on their faces. After that, their names were announced on the radio so that their families would know who survived. After a short period, they met their families and reunited. News of this story spread and was covered by media outlets around the world, becoming a global story. But then, many articles appeared in newspapers talking about their survival by eating the bodies of their friends.
The Legacy of Heroes: Nando, Roberto, and Sergio Catalán
This caused a great controversy. In the end, if they had not eaten their friends, it would have been impossible for them to survive. This story is one of the most famous survival stories that spread around the world. Books were written about it, and films and documentaries were made. Nando and his friends appeared in many interviews and forums and told their story in full detail. This story remained one of the biggest stories adopted by the media due to its power and strangeness, and perhaps also due to its happy ending.
Lasting Friendship and a Lesson in Resilience
The 16 survivors continued to meet over the years. They held a gathering every year on the same date of their rescue, December 22. All the words spoken about Nando, who was the undisputed leader of the journey, were attested by his friends. Nando, who was considered dead at the beginning of the crash and remained unconscious for three days due to a brain injury, and his survival from it was something miraculous in itself. Nando and Roberto are still in contact and meet with Sergio Catalán, the horseman who found them after they descended from the Andes Mountains. Their relationship with him remains strong, and they are still friends to this day.
References for the 1972 Andes Plane Crash Story:
1. "Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors" by Piers Paul Read
2. National Geographic – “The Andes Plane Crash Survivors”
3. History.com – “Andes Plane Crash”