Summary
"Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors" by Piers Paul Read chronicles the harrowing experiences of the Uruguayan rugby team, Old Christians Club, and their companions after their plane crashed in the Andes Mountains on October 13, 1972. Chartered from Montevideo, Uruguay, to Santiago, Chile, the Fairchild F-227 carrying forty-five passengers and crew encountered severe weather, leading to a catastrophic crash that left the survivors stranded in one of the most desolate and unforgiving environments on Earth.
Stranded at an altitude of approximately 11,500 feet, the survivors faced a brutal combination of sub-zero temperatures, devastating injuries, and dwindling supplies. With the initial search efforts proving futile and hope of rescue fading, the group was forced to confront a series of increasingly desperate measures to stay alive. As days turned into weeks, and with no external assistance in sight, they confronted the unimaginable: cannibalism. Faced with starvation and with the bodies of their deceased friends and family as the only available source of sustenance, they made the agonizing decision to consume human flesh in order to endure.
Amidst this gruesome reality, "Alive" highlights the extraordinary bonds of camaraderie, resilience, and faith that sustained the survivors. Led by figures such as Marcelo Perez, the team captain, and medical students Roberto Canessa and Gustavo Zerbino, the group established a semblance of order and discipline, rationing food, melting snow for water, and tending to the wounded. While they were in disagreement, the expeditionaries’ efforts to find a way back to civilization inspired them to continue their efforts to survive. As hunger and desperation reached new heights, the survivors tried several techniques to sustain themselves including eating carcasses that had been left unprotected from the sun, and devising new methods for collecting water.
After enduring seventy-two days in the mountains, Fernando Parrado and Roberto Canessa, driven by a desperate determination to save their companions, embarked on a perilous trek across the towering peaks in search of help. Despite facing near-impossible odds, they navigated treacherous terrain, braved extreme conditions, and ultimately stumbled upon civilization, heralding the miraculous rescue of the remaining survivors. In the wake of their ordeal, the survivors returned to a world captivated by their story of courage, resilience, and the extraordinary choices they made to stay alive. "Alive" examines the aftermath of the tragedy, exploring the survivors' struggles to reintegrate into society, reconcile with their actions, and grapple with the profound spiritual and psychological scars left by their time in the Andes.