MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY – Roberto Canessa, a survivor of the 1972 Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 plane crash in the Andes mountains, played a crucial role in helping his fellow survivors endure 72 days of extreme hardships, including starvation, freezing temperatures, and avalanches. The now 70-year-old Canessa, who was 19 at the time of the crash, trekked for ten days in search of help for the group.
As a second-year medical school student in Uruguay, Canessa, along with another medical student, assisted the injured during the crash, utilizing resourcefulness to bandage fractured bones with strips of clothing and cool them in the snow. After realizing that the most sickly survivors would soon die, Canessa and Fernando Parrado volunteered to make a 37-mile trek to find help, a decision that ultimately saved the rest of the group. They made this decision after Canessa suggested resorting to cannibalism to survive the starvation when their meager supplies of food quickly dwindled.
The survivors endured unimaginable suffering, resorting to eating parts of the airplane and the remains of their friends, a decision that was made particularly difficult due to the fact that they were consuming the bodies of their teammates and friends. Despite the grim circumstances, Canessa’s courage and leadership ultimately led to the rescue of the survivors. After being spotted by a Chilean shepherd, their terrible ordeal was brought to the attention of authorities, leading to a multi-day helicopter rescue that saved the survivors.
Following the tragedy, Canessa pursued a medical career, becoming a pediatric cardiologist and a motivational speaker. He has since become an author, publishing a book about the events, and has been portrayed in feature films recounting the harrowing tale. Canessa’s resilience and determination in the face of unimaginable hardship have made him an inspiration to many, demonstrating the strength of the human spirit in the most dire of circumstances.