The Andes plane crash of 1972 is a tale of survival, but it’s far more than just a story of resilience—it’s one of unimaginable horror, raw desperation, and gut-wrenching decisions. A plane, carrying 45 passengers, crashed into the freezing, unyielding Andes mountains. For those who survived, the nightmare had only just begun.
In the freezing wilderness, the survivors first attempted to eat anything they could find. They chewed on leather from suitcases and foam from the plane seats, trying to stave off hunger. But their desperate situation became increasingly dire, and soon, they were left with only one horrifying option: eating the dead.
It’s impossible to fathom that level of desperation. Imagine the gut-wrenching realization that to stay alive, you must consume the bodies of the people you once sat beside. That was the grim reality the survivors faced, a choice that tore into their very humanity.
But survival wasn’t just about eating the dead. It was about fighting through exhaustion, pain, and the biting cold. Some of the survivors ventured out on foot to find help. They hiked nearly 40 miles, over rugged terrain and through relentless snowstorms, their bodies pushed to the edge of death. Their strength, determination, and will to survive defied logic.
At one point, they thought they could use the plane’s radio system to call for help, but they didn’t know that the batteries they’d found were incompatible with the aircraft’s electrical system. Their attempts to use the radio were futile, but the survivors didn’t give up. The realization came: the only way out was to climb over the mountains.
On December 12, 1972, a group of survivors, including Roberto Canessa, Nando Parrado, and Antonio Vizintín, began their treacherous journey over a glacier. Lacking any mountaineering gear, they trekked through the brutal, high-altitude terrain for 10 days, covering 38 miles. As the days wore on, their strength dwindled. Vizintín, unable to go any further, turned back, but Parrado and Canessa pushed on, finding signs of human life—cows, campsites, and eventually, a man on horseback.
That man, a Chilean arriero named Sergio Catalán, didn’t hesitate. He read the desperate note the two men had sent across the river, threw them bread, and promised to help. The two survivors were brought to safety, but their journey wasn’t over. They guided the rescuers to the crash site, where the remaining survivors were saved.
After 72 grueling days, 16 of the 45 passengers had survived. It was an ordeal that tested not only their bodies but their minds and souls. The survivors had lived through unimaginable horror—starving, freezing, and forced to make decisions that would haunt them forever.
This is the real story of what happened in the Andes—of life, death, and the terrifying choices that must sometimes be made to survive. The story is both a testament to human endurance and a chilling reminder of how fragile life can be.
