MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay – Survivors of the 1972 Andes plane crash were left stranded in the freezing cold and resorted to cannibalism to stay alive after a search mission for the crashed aircraft was called off. The ill-fated Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 was carrying Montevideo’s Old Christians Club rugby union team across the snowy mountain range before it crashed, leaving 16 young men alive out of the 45 passengers on board.
These survivors had to endure extreme weather conditions including avalanches, with rescue efforts devastatingly called off after eight days. The survivors had to resort to eating the flesh of their deceased comrades in order to survive, with some acknowledging the difficulty and emotional trauma of resorting to cannibalism.
Medical student Roberto Canessa, who made the suggestion to eat the bodies of the deceased, described the experience as a difficult moral decision to make. Once rescue efforts were stopped, some survivors made a pact that those who lived could eat those who had died due to the exposure. They were eventually rescued after 72 days of isolation in the mountains.
This story has been told through books, documentaries, and film adaptations, shedding light on the extreme measures that were taken to survive this harrowing ordeal. The survivors have also become advocates for survival and leadership, sharing their experience with the world, commemorating the anniversary of their rescue each year. The recent release of the Netflix film “Society of Snow,” depicting their experience, has brought renewed attention to their story, highlighting the resilience and courage it took to endure such unimaginable circumstances.