Survival in the Andes:

• What happened on Friday, October 13, 1972?

- On, Friday October 13, 1972 a plane that had been
flying from Uruguay to Chile crashed into a
mountain in the Andes.
• How many people died?
- Twenty-nine people died in the crash and in the
weeks following it.
• What did the survivors do in order to stay alive?
- They were in great danger so they stayed inside the
remains of the aircraft, using thin seat covers for
blankets, and waited for a rescue that never came.
• How were the volunteers dressed on their way
across the mountains?
- Each man wore three pairs of socks, with a plastic
bag around each foot to keep the water out, boots,
four pairs of trousers and four sweaters. They also
carried a sleeping bag they had made.
• Did the volunteers have experience in climbing?
- No. None of them had mountain-climbing
experience.
• Since they didn’t have enough food and drink, how
did they manage to continue the journey?
- Vizintin returned to the plane and Parrado and
Canessa took his food, and continued the journey.
• Did they manage to find the way out?
- Yes. Walking towards the two peaks was difficult,
but as they continued to walk, they noticed a
change in the landscape. They discovered a small
stream. Few days after, the snow disappeared and
flowers were everywhere. So they knew that was
the way out.
• How many days had they been walking when they
finally saw the first signs of human activity?
- It was 19th December and they had been walking for
eight days. By 21st December the pair made it to
town of Los Maitenes in Chile.
• What happened to the other 14 passengers?
- Finally a rescue team was sent and they had all
managed to survive.