El Milagro de los Andes

Miracle in the Andes

This day, October 13, in 1972, a Fairchild FH-227 plane chartered by an Uruguayan Rugby Team, crashed into a remote and desolate mountain glacier peak, over 12,000 feet up in the Andes.

What happened over the next 76 days has been described as unmitigated hell, and what happened on December 22, 1972 as a miracle.

Of the 45 people on board, 12 died in the crash itself and another 5 the next day from their injuries. On the 8th day another person died of complications from a broken leg and then the worst thing possible happened, on the 16th day of the ordeal, an avalanche swept down the mountain in the middle of the night taking another 8 lives in one shot.

The 16 survivors were left stranded on a blinding-white below-freezing glacier in deplorable conditions – not enough food for anybody, no heat, no winter clothes, jackets or boots, no sunglasses, a radio with dying batteries that after a few days reported that the search was called off and after a few days even the cigarettes ran out– it was enough to drive anyone mad. They had only the broken fuselage of the plane to shelter in. They ripped everything apart to make blankets, goggles, warmer clothing. They pulled together whatever supplies they had and they rationed. It would never be enough. After weeks, they had no choice but to strip the frozen flesh of the deceased and use that as a food source, ala the Donner Party.

Although there was a woman who survived well into the ordeal, she refused to eat the dead, citing religious reasons and died of starvation. However, it was religious reasons that made the others eat. They reasoned that the true sin would be to die and not even try to live (The Church agreed with them almost immediately after the rescue and forgave them of any sins on the mountain, including cannibalism). The only people rescued off the mountain in December 1972 were 16 of the rugby players, the heartiest, youngest victims, and the strongest – mentally and physically.

As in EVERY single story of survival against all odds, the young men rescued themselves. Nando Parrado and Roberto Canessa trekked for 10 days over unyielding mountain passes and through the most unhikable, unnavigable terrain on the planet and in one of the most incredible survivor stories ever told – finally made their way down the mountains and to running flowing water and found a man who helped them. “I have come from a plane that crashed in the mountains” was what Nando wrote on a piece of paper that the man had threw at them from across the raging river waters that separated the men from true rescue. It has since become the title of the best-selling book he wrote about it.

The rescue itself was an ordeal. No one believed the rural ranchers – how could anyone survive on a mountain for almost 80 days without food or water? And how to rescue them? Helicopters can’t fly that high up into altitude. But they did. (Miracle) Within a few days, two of them picked up half the survivors (Miracle) and the rest the day after (Miracle). Rescuers were astonished at the horrific conditions the victims had lived in. Every single survivor was treated for something – altitude sickness, malnutrition, scurvy, broken bones, frostbite and dehydration - just to start. And yet - what a miracle! That anyone survived such conditions is so hard to believe, even to this day.

What do we live for? Why do we struggle to survive in such conditions and not give up? Everyone has a reason to live and each of the Andes crash survivors lived to marry, have children and careers and enjoy the rest of their life.

Dr. Robert Canessa continued his studies and became a world renowned pediatric cardiologist. A few years ago, he used his political pull to requisition a used EKG machine from the States for use in his hospital in Montevideo, Uruguay. This act alone has saved countless other lives. He is a fascinating man and you can learn more about him at: robertocanessa.com

The 1993 movie, Alive, captures the pain, horror, tragedy of the crash, the overwhelming beauty and brutality of the mountain and the will and desire to live of the survivors. It is a beautiful film. The voice over by John Malkovich is wonderful and so are the end credits as the Ave Maria plays over the majestic splendor of the scenery and the Cross Memorial that was placed years after in memory of the dead.

Survivors at the Moment of Rescue

What would you have done?