MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — The 1972 plane crash in the remote mountains of the Andes led to a horrific ordeal of survival, in which victims resorted to cannibalism to stay alive for 72 days before being rescued. This harrowing tale of tragedy and resilience has now been adapted into a new Netflix film called Society of Snow, based on Pablo Vierci’s 2009 book, and has been tipped for an Oscar. Additionally, Channel 5 has launched a documentary about the calamity titled Andes Plane Crash.
The tragic event unfolded when the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, carrying 45 passengers and crew, crashed into the rugged Andes mountains. The passengers, who were members of Montevideo’s Old Christians Club rugby union team and their friends, supporters, and family, were en route to a match in Santiago, Chile. Initial rescue efforts could not locate the crash site due to the fuselage being camouflaged in the white snow, and the survivors had to endure extreme weather conditions, including avalanches, and even make the unimaginable decision of eating the bodies of their friends for sustenance.
In the end, only 16 of the 45 passengers and crew members survived. They were rescued after embarking on a perilous 10-day journey through the mountains, where they fashioned sleeping bags, melted snow to drink, and, in a desperate bid to survive, were forced to consume the bodies of their deceased companions. These survivors have since recounted the horrors they endured during their ordeal, with one even comparing their deceased friends to being among the first organ donors in the world.
The survivors’ story is one of unimaginable hardship and unbreakable spirit, serving as a testament to human resilience in the face of extreme adversity. The ongoing impact of the crash and the survivors’ ordeal is a poignant reminder of the strength of the human will to survive and the enduring trauma that can arise from catastrophic experiences.