MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY – When a plane carrying amateur rugby players crashed in the Andes in 1972, 16 survivors resorted to eating the flesh of their deceased friends to stay alive. Now, one survivor is speaking out, expressing his pride in the difficult decision he made.
Roberto Canessa, who was 70 years old at the time of the revelation, admitted that the choice to consume human flesh was not an easy one. He recently shared his memoir, ‘I Had To Survive,’ detailing the harrowing experience.
The crash occurred on October 13, 1972, as 45 individuals boarded the Uruguayan Flight 571 heading to Santiago, Chile. The pilot lost course in dense fog, causing the chartered flight to collide with the snowy peaks. The survivors endured 72 days in treacherous conditions before finally being rescued.
Canessa recounted that he agonized over the decision and sought guidance through prayer. As a medical student, he was the one to suggest that the remaining survivors consume the flesh of the deceased. The group made a pact that any other members who perished could be consumed by those who survived.
Miraculously, the survivors encountered a Chilean shepherd who came to their rescue, leading to their ultimate salvation. Despite the trauma and hardship they endured, the survivors expressed deep happiness upon realizing they were saved.
The survivors’ story was later documented in a Netflix show, Society of the Snow, and it serves as a powerful testament to the strength and resilience of the human spirit. The survivors’ ordeal is a vivid reminder of the extremes to which individuals will go to survive under the most dire circumstances.