#miracle in the andes

[nerdside]

“𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆'𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔.”

Society of the snow (2023)

[stray-cat-with-internet-access]

Enzo Vogrincic

[livsoulsecrets]

I just finished reading Nando’s book about his journey in the Andes and I highly recommend it for its honest retelling of those 72 days, and his personal experience dealing with them.

I wanted to share some quotes that truly made me appreciate his and Roberto’s friendship even more. He spares no words to define Roberto’s stubborn, competent and unique personality and that’s how you see they’re truly brothers.

“After seeing how Arturo and Rafael suffered at night as they lay on the floor of the plane (and bellowing at them fiercely to stop their pathetic moaning), Roberto spent hours the next morning fashioning the swinging hammocks that gave those two injured boys some relief from their pain. It was not compassion, exactly, that spurred him to do these things, it was more a sense of duty. He knew his gifts and abilities, and it simply made sense to him to do what he knew no one else could do.”

-

“But more than anything I wanted him with me simply because he was Roberto, the most determined and strong-willed person I had ever known. If there was anyone in our group who could stand up to the Andes through sheer stubbornness alone, Roberto was the one. ”

-

“Roberto was Roberto, on the field or off, and even in the middle of a hard-fought match, he refused to be told what to do.”

-

It reassured me that Roberto was becoming his grumbling self again.

-

“Roberto,” I said, “can you imagine how beautiful this would be if we were not dead men?” I felt his hand wrap around mine. He was the only person who understood the magnitude of what we had done and of what we still had to do. I knew he was as frightened as I was, but I drew strength from our closeness. We were bonded now like brothers. We made each other better men.”

-

“Roberto stood beside me. I saw the fear in his eyes, but I also saw the courage, and I instantly forgave him all the weeks of arrogance and bullheadedness. […]

Roberto nodded. “You and I are friends, Nando,” he said. “We have been through so much. Now let’s go die together.”

-

“He was forcing himself forward now through stubbornness and the sheer power of his will. As I watched him, I knew I had been right in choosing him as my traveling companion.”

-

“But no one has been a better brother to me than Roberto Canessa, my partner in that long trek through the Andes.”

-

“In that moment, neither of us trusted that we had any kind of future, but we did, and more than thirty years later I am proud to say that I am still best friends with Roberto, who has only grown more resourceful, more confident, and, yes, more hardheaded with the passage of time.”

-

I tease him mercilessly about his ego, but I would not have him any other way.

[radioheadmybeloved]

Agustin Pardella as Nando Parrado

Second portrait of the cast!

Os quiero

[miracleintheandes]

On this day in 1972, two helicopters arrived in the Valley of Tears, where the severed fuselage and 14 survivors waited for rescue

Drawing by survivor Coche Inciarte

Nando and Roberto were shown maps and asked to point out where the rest of the survivors were. When they did, the rescuers said "That can't be it! That's all the way in Argentina! You couldn't have crossed the Andes on foot!".

But Nando and Roberto insisted they knew what they were talking about.

Nando was in one of the helicopters, otherwise the rescue team would not have been able to locate the wreckage (the white plane could not be seen from above in the snowy scenery). That took amazing bravery, given what he had just gone through. Weather conditions weren't the best, so the helicopters shook and swayed.

Not all 14 could fit in both helicopters, so Pancho Delgado, Antonio Vinzintín, Moncho Sabella, Bobby François, Gustavo Zerbino, Fito Strauch, Roy Harley and Javier Methol stayed behind with three mountaineers and a nurse. Due to the weather, they were only rescued on the 23d.

from left to right: Fito, Gustavo, Bobby, Roy, Pancho and Moncho

Actual footage of the first group being taken care of in Los Maitenes:

Footage of the first arrivals in Los Maitenes (pay attention to the survivors hugging, specially Nando and Carlitos tumbling to the ground <3):

Footage of the second group arriving at the hospital:

[if-not-now-tell-me-when]

Today, October 13th, marks 52 years since the crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 on its way from Mendoza, Argentina, to Santiago, Chile.

17 of the 29 victims of the accident passed away during or shortly after the crash, or during the first night on the mountain. Below, you can find their photos and a short bio for each. May they rest in peace, and may their families find peace on this day and every day.

Eugenia Dolgay de Parrado, age 50. Eugenia was the mother of Susana and Nando Parrado, and had come on the trip at the invitation of her son. Eugenia is described by her son as a quiet but strong woman, “full of encouragement and sage advice, with deep reserves of resourcefulness and good judgment that won her the respect of everyone who knew her.” While waiting to take off from the airport in Mendoza, she handed out candy from her purse to the boys around her. Eugenia died instantly during the crash, and is buried on the mountain with her daughter, Susana. 

Graziela Gumila de Mariani, age 43. Graziela bought her ticket aboard Flight 571 at the last minute, as she was flying to Chile for her daughter’s wedding. She was sitting in the front of the plane, and suffered two broken legs during the crash. The boys tried to free her afterwards, but she was inextricably pinned by the mass of seats that were crushed together in the impact. Two boys, Rafael Echaverran and Moncho Sabella, took turns holding her hand throughout the night in an attempt to comfort her. She passed away from her injuries early the following morning.

Colonel Dante Lagurara, age 41. Lagurara was a lieutenant colonel in the Uruguayan Air Force, and the co-pilot of the Fairchild. According to Alive by Piers Paul Read, one of his last acts before the crash was to tell Ramirez to, “make sure that the unruly passengers did as they were told” and took their seats. He survived the initial crash, but was pinned to his seat by the instrument panel. The boys tried in vain to free him, but were only able to feed him some snow and remove the cushion from his seat before returning to the fuselage. He passed away from his injuries during the first night.

Esther Horta Pérez de Nicola, age 40. Esther was the wife of Francisco Nicola, the Old Christians’ team doctor, and the mother of four young sons. Both were avid supporters of the team, and were excited to see them play in Chile. Esther died on impact when she and her husband were thrown forward into the wall separating the luggage compartment from the main cabin.

Dr. Francisco “Pancho”  Nicola, age 40. Dr. Nicola was the Old Christians’ team doctor, and an avid supporter of both the team and the Stella Maris College. While onboard the plane, he joined in the playful energy of the boys, catching a rugby ball thrown across the cabin by Roberto Canessa. He left behind four young sons. He and his wife both died immediately on impact.

Colonel Julio César Ferradás, age 39. Ferradás was an experienced pilot, having served in the Uruguayan Air Force for nearly 20 years, and completed 29 flights over the Andes. Ferradás died on impact.

Lieutenant Ramón Martínez, age 30. Martínez was serving as the steward aboard Flight 571. He spent his last moments playing cards with several of the boys in the back of the plane. He was one of the passengers sucked out of the back of the aircraft when the tail was cut off. 

Sergeant Ovidio Joaquín Ramírez, age 26. Ramírez was an Air Force sergeant who served as purser and navigator aboard Flight 571. Ramírez was sucked from the back of the aircraft and died upon impact with the mountain.

Julio Martinez Lamas, age 24. Julio was an avid supporter of the Old Christians’ team, and a friend and soccer teammate of Numa Turcatti and Coche Inciarte. Julio survived the initial crash, but passed away during the first night from his injuries.

Daniel Shaw Urioste, age 24. Daniel was an alum of the Stella Maris College, a substitute player for the Old Christians, and a cousin of Fito and Eduardo Strauch. He was also a close friend of Marcelo Pérez and a former full time player on the team. Moments before the crash, he begged his cousin Fito to switch seats with him, but Fito refused, inadvertently saving the latter’s life. Daniel was sucked from the back of the plane when the tail was cut off by impact with the mountain.

Gastón Costemalle, age 24. Gastón was a former player and captain of the Old Christians team, a law student, and a close friend of Numa Turcatti, Pancho Delgado, Coche Inciarte, Marcelo Pérez and Eduardo Strauch. Gastón was instrumental in convincing many non-players to join the trip, including Coche, Pancho and Numa. He perished along with several others when he was sucked from the rear of the plane.

Guido Jose Magri, age 23. Guido was an agronomy student, an active Old Christian’s player, and a longtime friend of Nando Parrado. He was engaged to be married at the time of the crash, and was very excited to spend his time in Chile planning the wedding with his fiancee, who was the daughter of a Chilean diplomat. Guido perished with several others after being sucked from the rear of the plane.

Felipe Maquirriain, age 22. Felipe was an economics student, a Stella Maris alum, and a friend of Arturo Nogueira, Pedro Algorta and Enrique Platero. Felipe suffered blunt force trauma during the crash, and passed away during the first night due to his injuries.

Francisco “Panchito” Abal, age 21. Panchito was a Stella Maris alum and a talented rugby player who held the winger position for the Old Christian's First 15. Panchito was also Nando Parrado's closest friend, and was considered to be a second son by Nando's parents, Seler and Eugenia, as well as a surrogate brother by his sister, Susy. Moments before the crash, Panchito convinced Nando to switch seats so that he could have a better view of the mountains, a split-second decision that would save Nando's life but cost Panchito his own. Panchito suffered severe head trauma during the crash, and passed away during the first night on the mountain from his injuries.

Jorge Alexis Hounie, age 20. Alexis, known as “Alejo” by his friends, was a Stella Maris alum, a scrum-half on the Old Christian’s First 15, and a veterinary student. Alexis was sucked from the back of the plane along with several of his friends and teammates, and perished upon impact with the mountain.

Fernando “Flaco” Vasquez, age 20. Flaco was a friend and classmate of Roberto Canessa, and a medical student. Roberto and Flaco were seatmates on the plane. Flaco suffered an amputation of his lower leg during the crash, and passed away before Canessa or Zerbino could attend to his wounds.

Carlos Valeta, age 18. Carlos was a Stella Maris alum, a medical student, and a friend of Gustavo Zerbino and Carlitos Paez. He was not a player on the Old Christian’s team, but he was an avid team supporter. Carlos was sucked from the rear of the plane, miraculously surviving the impact, but falling down the mountain to his death as he tried in his shock to reach the other survivors.

[iphigeniarising]

With all the death and avalanches and starvation and cannibalism I sometimes forget just how young these guys were. And then I get blasted with something like this.

[broodycrawdad35]

Society of the Snow (La Sociedad de la Nieve) (2024)

Behind the Scenes and VFX breakdown

[strangeandoff-putting]

Gustavo Zerbino, guardian of memories

Gustavo's chapter is one of my favourite things about Vierci's Society of the Snow, and every time I read this part it rips my heart out.

I handed a piece of paper to Sergio, who was with the medic José Bravo, paper which I had torn out of a notebook where I wrote down the names of each person who had died, indicating the corresponding pile of bones for each name. I acquainted the mountaineers with the remains of all of them, so that if at some future date their relatives came here, each one would be able to find the remains of their son and take him home if they wanted. Sergio stared at me as though I had lost my senses. I was with them for two hours at the nose of the plane with that paper, explaining everything to them. I wanted someone else to know. [...] I knew that Nando’s mother and sister were on this side, along with Liliana Methol. I knew that for two reasons: because they might be food tomorrow and, if we were to get out alive, their families could take them back to Montevideo if they wished. I knew who was here, who was there, who was in between, each scattered in his own place. Sergio Díaz took my hand and said, ‘Thank you, thank you, Gustavo, but it doesn’t matter, it’s over, and you don’t need to worry any longer.’ He wanted to protect me, but I wanted to protect my friends.

[inktr3pid]

Andes

[andrewckeeper]

LIDMF AI + PHOTOSHOP "The Meat Society"

[traveling-song]

Dear fellow Terrebus fandom who enjoy snow survival stories,

May I bring your attention the incredible true story of “Miracle in the Andes” and the insane impossible trek through the glaciers and mountains in the Andes done by Nando Parrado and Roberto Canessa on foot after surviving a plane crash in the middle of the mountain range. Talk about a rescue march for survival that took place only 51 years ago!

Be sure to check out @miracleintheandes for more info!!

[somethingusefulfromflorida]

If you were stranded, like a Donner party situation. How would you prepare the poor schmuck who drew the short straw?

Real answer? Wait for them to die first. I've long been of the opinion that if I'm ever trapped in a Donner Party/Flight 571 situation, I'd give my fellow survivors permission to eat me after I died. I'm not using it anymore, they need it more than me. As morbid as it sounds, I want to establish this promise up front so nobody has to hem and haw over the morality of it as they slowly starve to death in the snow. I'm not gonna kill anyone for food, but if we came to an agreement before hand and they died early, then it's fair game. I never want someone to say "this is what he would have wanted" unless it is in fact what I would have wanted. If I die, eat me. Those Uruguayan rugby players were stranded in the Andes for ten weeks. The government search was called off early. Their parents were seeking the advice of psychic scam artists to find them. They had to make a difficult decision, and it ended up saving 16 lives. Nobody wants to think about this because it's very unlikely to ever happen, but for the poor few who find themselves in this situation I feel it would save a lot of time and stress to let it be known from the start that there's no shame in it, especially after all other options have been reasonably exhausted. You can only subsist on leather, seat cushions, toothpaste and lipstick for so long. It's not something to be enthusiastic about, but if it's the last resort, you do what you gotta do to survive, and no one can judge you for that.

[livsoulsecrets]

I just finished Bobby François’ chapter in the Society of the snow book and it was one of the chapters I was most curious about, as he is one of the most reserved survivors.

Bobby states many times during his chapter his reasons for that and they’re completely valid. I wanted to share below some portions of his story, as it is not often the center of the discussion when it comes to the survival in the Andes:

“It wouldn’t have mattered to me if they had had to let me die because, deep in my heart, I was expecting that eventuality. I predicted that the hour would arrive when this had to happen because there was no food left, and perhaps it would be necessary to choose somebody. And I was an obvious candidate because I never did anything to deserve their protection. But they never did that. And I believe that it never even entered their minds to do it. […] And when I mention this to my friends today they roar with laughter. ‘Don’t be ridiculous, Bobby,’ they say to me. ‘You’re crazy! You must be drinking too much.”

-

“It wasn’t that I didn’t want to do more, but that I could not. And not only did the group not cast me out, they never demanded more of me than what I could give. They took me into their hearts and gave me everything I needed.”

-

“Daniel Fernández, who cared for me like a father, always says something that surprises me. He tells me that I, with what I said and with my indifferent attitude, made that atmosphere of high tension, when everybody was on the edge of insanity, more bearable.”

-

“It’s evident that I suffered a deep depression in the Andes. […] I lost more and more interest in things; I had less will to live, to eat, to cover myself, to take care of myself.”

-

“Moreover I know, all too clearly, that I owe my life to the group from the Andes. But what moves me more than anything that has ever happened to me is that not a single one of them has ever collected on that debt. More and more I am coming to believe that they don’t even feel that I owe them anything.”

[radioheadmybeloved]

Matías Recalt as Roberto Canessa

I'm still alive. Just forgot that i had an account here lol

I loved this movie and i'm so grateful to have a great director as Bayona here in Spain.

Cried for 30 mins too.

[miracleintheandes]

What is the “Miracle in the Andes”?

On October 12th 1972, a Fairchild FH-227D left Carrasco International Airport in Montevideo headed towards Chile. It was the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, chartered by an amateur rugby team called Old Christians. The plane carried 40 passengers and 5 crew members. Among the passengers were members of the team and a few of their friends and family.

The purpose of the trip was to play a friendly rugby match against a local team plus a short vacation of a few days in Santiago. Friends and family were brought along in order to fill the remaining seats on the plane, so that each ticket could be sold at a more affordable price.

As it turned out, the Fairchild would never reach its destination. After an unplanned layover in Mendoza, at the foothills of the Andes on the far west of Argentina, the plane departed for Santiago in the early hours of the afternoon of Friday 13th.

Caught in the middle of thick clouds and strong winds, the pilots miscalculated their position and began to descend when the plane had yet to cross the mountains, some of which were over 15.000 feet high.

The right wing crashed against a peak, severing the fuselage in the process. Subsequently, the same thing happened to the left wing. A handful of passengers and two members of the crew fell off the back of the plane and disappeared in the mountains.

photo taken inside the plane before the disaster

What remained of the fuselage slid down the mountainside at just the perfect angle so as to not come undone in a million pieces. When it came to an abrupt stop, passengers were violently thrown to the front of the plane still attached to their seats. Several more died, some crushed instantly and others a few minutes or hours later due to their injuries.

Sixteen of those that remained beat all odds and survived for 72 days in the freezing cold with no food or water. This blog aims to share information about what is undoubtedly the greatest survival story of all time.