CARLOS PAZ, ARGENTINA – In 1972, a plane carrying 45 people, including amateur rugby players, crashed in the Andes, leaving 16 survivors who resorted to consuming the flesh of their deceased friends to stay alive. Now, nearly 50 years later, one of the survivors, Roberto Canessa, has opened up about his decision to engage in cannibalism, expressing pride in his choice to do whatever it took to survive.
Canessa revealed the harrowing details of their ordeal, emphasizing that while the decision to consume human flesh was agonizing, it was necessary in order to survive in the perilous conditions. The chartered flight had veered off course in dense fog, crashing into the snow-capped peaks of the Andes, leaving the survivors to fend for themselves for 72 days before finally being rescued.
The survivors, including medical student Roberto Canessa, eventually resorted to using glass to cut and consume the flesh of their deceased teammates. They made a pact that anyone who died could be eaten by the remaining survivors, highlighting the extreme measures they had to take in order to survive.
Despite the repugnance and hardship of resorting to cannibalism, fellow survivor Ramon Sabella revealed that they eventually got used to the idea of consuming human flesh. The survivors lost over half of their body weight during their 72-day ordeal before being rescued by a Chilean shepherd who eventually heard their cries for help.
Eduardo Strauch, another survivor, shared the profound relief and gratitude they felt upon being rescued, describing it as one of the most beautiful moments of their lives. The survivors recounted their remarkable and miraculous story, underscoring the extraordinary lengths they had to go to in order to endure and ultimately survive the tragic plane crash in the Andes in 1972.