Roberto Canessa used to be my cardiologist when I was a young girl. He has dedicated his life to treating children with congenital heart defects and has saved a lot of lives. Exceptional man.
I find the whole story (and survival) extraordinary. What a blessing to be treated by someone who went through such a life changing event, someone who understands the human instinct to survive. I hope you are having a healthy life. 💜
Wow Its a small world ! Six degrees of separation kind of thing ! It is so wonderful to hear he did what he set out to do, save as many lives as possible
(This is Peter's wife writing) I grew up watching disaster movies like "The Poseidon Adventure" and "Towering Inferno". There was always some poor woman trying to climb down off a mountain or out of a collapsed building while wearing stiletto heels and a party dress. I made a vow to myself back then that, if I ever had to run (or climb) away from danger, my shoes weren't going to stop me.
Considering they had no significant training and absolutely no advance warning, they did an amazing job at organizing themselves as well as they could.
Besides, it was the end of Summer so they didn't have warm clothes on the plane with them and you don't have ice or snow in Uruguay so it was a truly new and puzzling experience for them.
@@Elvenboyslut yea they got the nutritional science just right. Most other people would just be eating the muscles they are used to already eating but would ignore the bones and liver and stuff.
@@Elvenboyslut Good point. Still, it’s impressive that they could adapt the medical training they did have to a survival scenario like that. Knowledge can make a doctor good but knowledge and resourcefulness makes a doctor (or medical student in this case) great.
Nando Parrado not only lost his sister, mother and his best friend in that accident but also broke his skull and was in a coma for 3 days. He recovered, trained every day under the extreme weather and walked for 10 days to find help and save his friends. What a legend
Lmaooooo that's exactly what I was thinking 😅 "I mean, I'm chubby, so I probably wouldn't taste too horrible. Don't die out of "respect" for my usless meat sack. Get some calories out of me at least, it's literally the only way I can help now."
I don’t think I’d taste good...all the drugs & alcohol. But I bet there’s a lot of drugs stuck in my fat cells. Could be a nice time...if that’s how it works...?
Before I watch this, I want to say that Roberto Canessa came to my school in Buenos Aires around the time his book came out. One of my classmates asked if he was afraid of flying: he shrugged and firmly said no, not at all. Then he told us that he was on a flight many years later and they hit a LOT of turbulence. A woman sitting next to him started panicking. She turned to him and asked "What if we crash??" and he said "Don't worry, ma'am, planes don't just fall out of the sky!" He gave us such a rueful smile and was so sweet, his visit really stuck with me. Edit: Watched it, loved it (of course).
Ojalá hubiera vivido alguna visita de cualquiera de los sobrevivientes, me habría gustado mucho tener esa experiencia, pero nací un poco tarde para tenerla
That must have been a wonderful visit from Señor Canessa. I never read the book but, I remember his name from the movie. I think that the survivors went on to live normal lives. I'm thankful for that, and wish them nothing but the best.
Wow that must have been one of those experiences you realise was super cool, the more you mature. Like, you’re a teenager in high school “oh cool some guy from a plane crash”. 10 years later, “holy frick that was fricken incredible that I got to hear one of those guys talk.” Lol Thanks for sharing your story, it was so randomly interesting.
I almost cried a little hearing that they were accepted and forgiven when they returned. They absolutely deserved to be safe and loved after everything they went through
In dire situations you do what you gotta do. I see no problem eating people who had already died in order to survive if your only other choice is to die. Now if you had killed someone for the purpose of eating them then that's a different story because your throwing murder into the mix.
@@stacyk123 Indeed. This was done as a desperate last measure attempt to preserve human lives at no further cost of other human lives and the ones that had to do it were in the horrific situation through no fault of their own. If I had to die in such a situation, I would take some comfort with the fact that atleast eating my body COULD give the others a chance to make it back to their loved ones alive.
at first, there was some backlash from the public because there was rumors that they killed them for the meat, but they were forgiven after they explained the situation because hey, they just did what they had to do to survive, and the people who died would have wanted them to survive and go back home by whatever means necessary. humans have always engaged in cannibalism in desperate situations; eating the bodies of the dead in this type of situation, i think, is a way of honoring them by continuing to live for their sake. if i died in this type of situation, i know i would rest easy knowing that at least my body would be something to eat.
The only thing I don't agree with is letting people suffer and die when they had a gun. That Pilot was hurting and I believe he had the right to end his pain. Making him suffer was pointless. If it was me, I would want to be shot.
Nando & Canessa travelled 40 miles through in 10 days to find the "man on the horse". Their first 3 days were spent climbing the first mountain they encountered along the way in ridiculous conditions. Truly incredible. Seasoned mountain climbers with the proper gear retraced their steps and commented on how miraculous the feat was that they had accomplished...Love this story to pieces.
Let's not forget to mention Antonio 'Tintín' Vizintín, who climbed the highest mountain for three days being unaware of the fact that he was carrying the heaviest backpack, and whose toes were destroyed for having kicked the ice to make 'steps'. Over 30 years later, he found out that he'd been carrying 40 kilos (88 pounds) of 'food' and water.
Heads up: if I ever die while stranded with you and there's no other food around and no rescue in sight, feel free to eat me. but do NOT kill me to eat me. That's mean.
@Ali Ajmeri yes. They wouldn’t necessarily respect it if they were desperate. But we’re all still human and I would expect people to care about each other and show each other some dignity even in unimaginable situations.
@@O_Ciel_Phant0mhive Some people dont...eat animals, I mean. Me included. But then that is when the choice is still possible. And yes, if starvation loomed, I would kill and eat animals. Would probably also eat human bodies. Staying alive is a strong motivator. Making conscious consumer choices when you have the leisure to do so is different from needing to stay alive. Only question remains - who would - like in the first two videos - decide to kill other people to eat them. Human experience shows there usually are some. The siege of Leningrad gives some quite horrible examples of this, as well as a wonderful example of people guarding a whole vault of edible seeds and grain samples , while their coworkers and families starved to death over three years without ever touching their "charges".
I am old enough to remember when this happened. People were so happy to hear they survived, but that attitude towards them changed when they found out they had resorted to cannibalism. Its easy to sit in your recliner watching this on the evening news, saying how you would never do this. You do not know what you would do unless you are in this situation. Nobody wants to eat human flesh, but the will to survive is very strong.
@@blueblack3591imagine surviving a plane crash only to find yourself in absolutely lethal conditions, having to resort to eating their friends to survive.. The amount of physical and mental trauma these people went through to then come back to safety and be vilified for doing what needed to be done to survive. Awful.
@@geraldettmayr8435 disgusting and pretty heartless! These people suffered horribly and would have to endure this embroiled in their minds for the remainder of their lives! Did you see the movie, "Alive"? It was really brutal!
@@1BethMcBeth No. But I saw 2 documentaries and afterwards read Newspaper articles about it. Yes I have empathy for them more than you might imagine. But it's over and long gone. I myself survived a very very freezing situation once and will be forever thankful that I survived. And I still have some humor and sarcasm for almost everything even myself. I would have been an isicle.
better-than-netflix quality documentary and she pays people fair wages. and also does LEGIT research on factual and cultural information. we stan caitlin beyond words.
Lilliana Methol. The one badass mama who survived for weeks alongside those young men...what a saint. 4 young children at home, she was suffering, starving, and freezing but still took on a nurturing role. She was the embodiment of motherhood. Thankfully she died quickly in the avalanche. RIP sweet angel.
@@analmf1210let people hype up a woman who did something most people couldn’t even think of enduring. Not many people could’ve stayed sane and calm and put others before their innate human desire to live in the way she did in such an extreme situation, and she deserves to be called a badass for it
They thought Nando was going to die and they put him towards the back of the fuselage where it was the absolute coldest, and that healed his brain from his head injury.
A small addition to this comment, Nando Parrado wrote a book titled "Miracle in the Andes" and in there he mentions that the colder temperature probably SAVED his life by reducing the inflamation within his skull. But it didn't heal his head wound per se.
At least here in Argentina, the yellow press tried to paint them as savages and psychopaths. I remember as a small kid seeing those headlines and being scared. But then I read an interview with one of them and it became apparent that he was just a regular person stuck in the worse situation possible. They did him wrong just to sell papers
Tal cual! Por suerte se desmitificó y desestigmatizó bastante el tema, y actualmente se comparte la perspectiva más empática... Poor guys, they went through a lot!
@@plantlvr unfortunately that type of yellow press simply sells better. There's quite a number of good publications, it's just that they won't go viral with outrageous click bait articles daily. Truthful reporting of facts simply is too boring to make money.
Here again after watching the phenomenal Netflix film Society of the Snow. It was incredibly detailed and a stark contrast of the movie Alive. It was immersive and heart wrenching and inspiring. I am in awe of these people’s will to live. I still can’t fathom what they endured.
Yes! The film was my true introduction to this incredible story after hearing bits and pieces throughout my life (the first being a connection to the Donner Party in my 6th grade Social Studies class) and I've watched it over and over. Now I'm looking into more videos and stories about the survivors. Something I learned while watching the movie is that 3 of the survivors were actually in the movie! 2 of them (I can't remember their names off hand unfortunately) were in the airport, and Carlitos played his father reading out the survivors' list. That had to have been a very emotional day for him and the other survivors. Would you recommend the Alive movie? Or was it so sensalized that it's not worth it?
The movie is based on the book 'Society of the Snow' by Pablo Vierci, and the book is based on the extensive interviews made for this documentary: th-cam.com/video/-kxIZ1dRsKo/w-d-xo.html The story told by the 16 survivors, including the two who's always kept away from the public eye (Bobby Francois and Pancho Delgado).
In the Book, "Alive" it was pointed out the reason they were no found immediately was the plane was not where everyone thought it was. They were looking in Chile, but the plane was actually in Argentina. And if they had kept East from the tail for another two of three hours, the would have come to a Argentine Ski Resort that was still open. The Argentine Army goes back to the crash site every few years as as a training exercise in Mountain Warfare, the search for any body parts and bury them if found. Then their Chaplin conducts a ceremony at the Cross.
Honestly, these young people are extraordinary. They were extremely resourceful, organized, and cooperative in such a horrific situation. They were willing to act instead of sitting around and letting themselves freeze or starve to death. Despite turning to cannibalism, they were still civilized and didn't try to abuse or take advantage of one another.
Fr, the fact that there were people like Canessa and Nando who stepped up when their "leader" gave up was so inspiring. I am so amazed by their dedication.
I wonder if the fact they were already a team helped that dynamic - they were used to working with each other, taking different roles, knowing who was strong with what, and willing to let that person take the lead in whatever situation they could contribute to. I'm also really heartened by how they reconciled the necessity of cannibalism with their relationships, social and cultural dynamics, and religion - and that others understood once they were rescued. They didn't try to kill each other or leave people to die just for food, but honored their dead. I's pretty incredible.
Except for the fact they decided to let a man bleed out for hours instead of letting him end his misery. And they just left that woman under the seats, without trying to do anything or comfort her.
José Luis 'Coche' Inciarte, who lived this tragedy at the age of 24, died from cancer on 27 July 2023. Like most of the passengers on that plane, he was not part of the rugby team. With a badly injured leg he had to 'operate on' with a razor blade to drain the pus, and seeing the days go by with no news about the expeditionaries (Canessa and Parrado), he decided to wait until Christmas Eve to let himself die in the Andes. Fortunately, the rescue helicopters arrived on 22nd December. He is described by the survivors as 'the sense of humour in the mountains', and as the one who brought tenderness to the hell they were living in.
“When Christ died he gave his body to us so we can have spiritual life. My friend has given us his body so we can have physical life” Excuse me while I go cry 😭 that’s beautiful
Indeed. Personally for me. If I were in that situation I would like to say a prayer to the deceased so they could rest in peace and perhaps apologize for eating thier corpse? This would I guess, make one more accepting of the act [of canablism].
@@stuartd9741 I would certainly be praying for their souls to be at peace and express how sorry I am that they had to leave us. But with that great loss, how humbled and honored I'd feel, that they are saving lives.
@@dianeaishamonday9125 Given the fact that the passengers were uruguayan (there are native americans in Uruguay, but neither of the passengers was native american and, of course, they were not deers either) and being the 70s, they were all, most likely, devout catholics... I'm pretty sure a prayer was the most respectful thing to do in that case.
I'm uruguayan. As a teenager, I had the honor to meet Canessa when he went to my hometown to talk about the accident. I still get chills when I remember it... This man is so strong, humble, and smart. He's a recognised cardiologist nowadays, treating children with congenital cardiopathies even before they're born. Kids "whose voice can't be heard, just like ours couldn't be heard on the mountain." Hearing this story from one of the survivors is something I'll never forget. Thank you for making this video, Caitlin!! Amazing as always ❤
As an American trying to learn Spanish (and with what others have told me is a pretty good accent) it does suck that most people don't bother to try with the pronunciation. I will, however, say that at least we arent as bad at it as the Brits 🙈
My father learned to speak Spanish fluently in the military, but he spoke it with a NY accent. It would take you a few seconds to figure out if he was speaking English or Spanish-lol.
The "collapse of the optimists" aspect of this story is a fascinating one to me. I've read it argued that it represents a kind of 'species survival trait' to have both kinds of people. Some hold it together in the immediate aftermath of a crisis, and fall apart later because they haven't processed (sometimes months or years later, even). But by the time the 'optimists' are falling apart, those who broke down right away have recovered. Neither approach is good or bad, it's just a pattern that means there's going to be *someone* able to do what has to be done throughout hard times.
Yep, and that also points that a common theme that is touted these days as a virtue of emotionally sympathizing with people that are struggling, instead of being strong and helping them push through, can be actually destructive.
@@merrymachiavelli2041 Yeah but only because most people do not have it that bad and act as they do. And not only that, as "a political lesson" like you put it, they are not even close to a life and death situation but emotionally react as if that was the case, but want others to "sympathize" by bringing them down to their same level, instead of recognizing that it is good that other people are emotionally stronger so they can help them. So sure, it's not the same because if you are starving and stranded in an ice desert you do have a very real reason to feel desperate, but even then it is a group survival trait that others can stay strong, so with that in mind that second aspect can apply to people with emotional issues, much easier if they are under better circumstances.
@@trinidad17 My point is that none of that is relevant to how we should organise our societies or outside of survival situations, which most people will never be in. - Survival stories are interesting and say a lot about human psychology in high-stress situations, but drawing grand revelations about what is and isn't a virtue seems flawed. - Unless, of course, you are only talking about survival situations. In which case, I apologise for the misunderstanding.
@@trinidad17 sympathising with them doesn't mean infantilising them or yourself. You can emotionally sympathise with someone, encourage them and show them strength and support. It doesnt melt your brain to emotionally sympathise with people. Stop being dramatic and conflating two things that can't be conflated. You're doing sympathising wrong and/or drinking some good old Koolaid.
If I'm ever in a situation like this and I am one of the dead, I fully expect the survivors to eat my corpse. I mean, I'm dead. Leaving my body to lay around and rot is not going to bring me back and isn't going to help anyone. Knowing I saved people's lives is the best legacy you could ask for.
I agree. Yeah, it'll be sad and tragic and all that but survive, get safe, and then mourn me or whatever and if my meat suit helps you survive, tis a bonus.
Imagine being Nando, his promise that he made to return home to his father and the love he has for his father pushed him through. And this love got him home. But when he returned home he discovered his father had sold all of his things (presumably also Susie's things, and his mother's things) and gotten a new girlfriend. Just over two months later. I could not imagine.
Imagine being his father though, everything that he had worked for, the family he had spent most of his life with were just gone in an instant. I have a hard time casting judgment on the man, he had lost everything (at least he thought he did) in a single day. I'm sure to him at that point his house had become a memorial to the Dead, a constant reminder of everything.
@@claralima1967 But it had been 2 months! Many families were still looking for the survivors. You're telling me he lost hope, grieved, and tried to move on within 2 months??
ngl if i was in a disaster situation w my friends i’d be okay with them eating me if i’m dead, i’d rather they survive than respect my dead body and die as well
If ever on a deserted tropical island, I'm so pale I would promptly spontaneously combust in sunlight, thus provided fire and food to all. Bon apetit!!
I think the biggest difference, nutritionally, between this event and the Donner Party and Essex events is that the people whose remains sustained the survivors in this case died of trauma, meaning that there was actual nutrition still available in them. The Donner Party and Essex sailors ate the flesh of those who had already been starving.
@@onelittleplum yup they killed actual families not just one or two people, there was one family they killed that had two young girls. Hearing about them eating the children in school was horrific
@@kylieminou7775 I hate to be "that guy," but can we ever truly know that? If the Andes' survivors DID kill anyone, they would never have told about it, would they? The story would appear the exact same to us as currently presented.
who’s watching this after watching the society of snow? double the points if you watched the movie because of having watch this video almost 3 years ago (i feel like only over year a has passed)
I'm rewatching this because a co-worker mentioned the Netflix and when she was explaining it, I was like "oh! I've seen a TH-cam documentary about that"
I watched the movie when it was in theaters and at the time I remember thinking the plane crash was one of the most realistic crash depictions I had ever seen.
I love that they were up there, struggling for survival and were like “you know what we need to do? Takes pictures of us just smiling and hanging out like it’s all hunky dory”
They found a camera and decided to document their survival, so that if they all later died and rescuers eventually found the plane they'd know what had happened :) Plus, not like they had an awful lot of things to do up there in the snow. All they could do was sit around, tinker with the little stuff they had, and talk. Must've been incredibly boring after a while!
On one of the treks to find help a few of the survivors found the tail section of the plane and there were comic books in it. They set up camp there and stayed up late reading them. At first I thought it was weird but if you're trying to escape from such a horrible situation even for a moment it makes a lot of sense.
Right?! I was shocked a bit when she zoomed in on the picked clean ribcage/spine to the right of the gang all just grinning and laid back like it's a barbecue. Sheesh. Why smile so big. Maybe I'd have smiled but there's no way I'd show teeth! Lol
One of the boys that were sucked when the tail struck the mountain was my uncle Gaston Costemalle. I’m also related to Roberto Canessa but Gaston’s death was obviously more impactful to my family. Gaston was engaged to my aunt at that time so technically he never became my uncle. I’m glad this story reaches new audiences but I think people need to speak about those lost in the accident as well. For instance, Gaston’s father had died in the late 60’s. His only brother died only a couple of years earlier, in 1969 I believe, when his canoe sunk during an excursion in the beaches of Carrasco. When Gaston died in 1972, his mother Blanca was the only member of the Costemalle Jardi family that remained. Being that he never got to make a name for himself or have a family of his own I think we, or at least I, should try and keep his memory alive.
This is why I love Caitlyns channel so much. She can put a face on those she discusses, and never denies them of their humanity. I've learned a lot about people, both alive and dead through watching her. Thank you for sharing Gastons memory, and how the others like Blanca survived their loss.
El dolor que la madre de Gastón debe haber sentido es una de las cosas que más me pone triste cuando leo sobre la historia.. Me dá mucha lastima, no consigo imaginar como se sobrevive a tanto sufrimiento y el desespero que debe ser
@Call Me AK absolutely it’s by piers Paul Reid I read it way back in secondary school it’s one of those books along with columbine by Dave Cullen that have stayed with me long after reading. It’s heartbreaking yet uplifting. A must read if u want to know more.
I appreciate Marcelo and Delgado, they were the right leaders at the right time. When a tragedy strikes, having someone who tries to be positive and keep hope up is empowering, and at those first days, the group needed the strength of "we'll be fine, we'll survive, we'll be rescued". Once that possibility was exhausted, they needed people who could get strength from "ok, we can deal with this, we'll rescue ourselves". Without the first two immediately getting to work and keeping morale up, they all probably would've given up right away
Its a shame Marcelo died, he tried so hard to keep everyone standing, even after he and Pancho were wrecked after hearing the search had been called off. Atleast Pancho survived
@@stupidsteven2421Marcelo died on October 29 which was his father's death anniversary. His father had died four years before. His sister said in an interview she believes Marcelo was called by their dad that day
In regards to Nando Parrado, whose drive and determination was instrumental in getting them off the mountain, might not have survived the first night. Or he might have become too weak/debilitated to climb later. Two small but major decisions that first night on the mountain helped turned this from a total tragedy into a miracle of survival. The first was Nando was left for dead and placed in a freezing part of the plane. This helped ease the swelling from his head injury and avoid death from that. However, hypothermia and frostbite became the new threats. As the night progressed, Diego Storm noticed Nando didn't seem that bad. So he and another pulled Nando between them to share warmth. These two choices, made when they did, likely saved Nando, and, ultimately, the rest of the survivors at the end. So when people say Nando was the main rescuer, he always denies this saying that they all, living and dead, had a part of 16 people getting off the mountain.
@@georgiabaddeley6606 It's been a while and I've read and watched several of the personal accounts from the survivors, but I think it was in Nando Parrado's book "Miracle In the Andes". There is also a History Channel documentary about it that I believe covers the luck Nando had in terms of surviving his own head injury by leaving him out in the snow long enough for the swelling to go down.
Nando's biggest motivation for escaping was that he didn't want to have to eat his mother and sister. But, before he left, he gave permission to the others to do so if his mission failed.
@@Latabrine Based on his words in his personal account of his survival "Miracle In the Andes", I think Nando's first personal motivation was to get back to his father. The devastation Nando felt losing his sister and mother he then applied to his father, who he realized thought his wife, daughter and even his son was dead. Imagining his father experiencing an even greater emotional loss than his own drove Nando to get out. To show his father not all was lost and he was still living. The fear of having to consume his mother and sister was probably 2nd to that, since Nando's determination to save themselves and escape on foot was cemented before the survivors ever consumed any of the dead. Once his sister died on the 3rd or 4th day after the crash, Nando was ready to walk out and advocating the idea, which prompted him to go on to suggest to Carlitos they should eat the pilot to get the energy needed to do it. The survivors didn't start to eat the dead until around the 10th day.
Tip from a trauma medic: If you are ever around when someone is eviscerated (organs hanging out) and no proper medical help or equipment is around, best thing to do is gently place the organs into a plastic bag and lay them on top of the opening.
@@thelovelymisshill imagine you see someone walking on the road and you think they’re holding a bag of groceries but as you get closer it’s a bag of their INTERNAL ORGANS
I'm American so, my only knowledge comes from the movie. I'm thankful that Caitlin is covering this story. It's being treated as a documentary of sorts.
For many years, this event was mostly known in the world because of the film 'Alive', a very distorted version of the real story. And even worse, most of the videos in English (not this one) on this incident are based on that movie. The survivors find 'Alive' superficial and unrealistic. In 'Alive', a lot of the facts were changed (not minor details) and others were made up just to give Ethan Hawke's character the role of the 'superhero', whereas the other characters are practically passive spectators who depend entirely on Nando's initiative. In reality, what took those young men out of the mountains was the extraordinary team work, the resourcefulness and the heroic actions of the whole group, including many of those who died in the snow. The main leaders were the Strauch cousins, but as the survivors say, each one of them was a leader depending on the moment and the skills needed during the 72 days they were stranded in the Andes.
Yeah, the Strauch cousins were the one who were in charge with cuttting the dead bodie and giving the "food" rations. I think Eduardo had a book but it is not translated in english. He mostly kept a quiet life afterwards and must have been much traumatised since he was the one who cut the body. His cousin Fito was the one handling the food to the other survivors and nowadays I think he still can't believe how popular the story of their survival have become.
@milcaharchives8556 The three cousins were the strategists, they were in charge of planning all the group's actions. Eduardo and Daniel Fernández Strauch give conferences all over the world. While Daniel's never been back to the crash site, Fito's returned several times, and Eduardo visits the place every year. 'Out of the Silence: After the crash' is the English version of Eduardo's book. I think Daniel's book (Regreso a la montaña) has not been translated.
He probably would have died eventually, 70 plus days would be too long to survive with that kinda injury. Since Raphael succumbed due to gangrene he would not have made it either.
Honestly that piece about "the body of Christ" is quite poignant even for an agnostic like myself! People talk about that sacrifice with awe and gratefulness all the time. This event is the closest neighbor to that ancient story.
Well, the sacrifice of the body being good isn't exclusive to Christianity- it's in many other places like Egyptian Osiris, or Norse mythology Odin or Kvasir or the first giants.
@@evabartlett4599 well, Catholics would disagree with you. At least in my country, the doctrine is that thr communion actually turns into physical flesh of Jesus when swallowed. My mother was raised Catholic, and she was shocked to find out that no, this is not a metaphor for them.
The Pope actually personally assured them that they where not in trouble since some of the survivors thought they would be damned to hell for all eternity for what they had done
@@teddyperkins3406 bible also says that one of gods greatest commandments is the preservation of life. So.....I don't know maybe hire a lawyer before you die.
@@owenwatkins9490 isnt it a little ironic considering how many people have been killed by "devout" religious people throughout history? its almost as though people are interpreting religion in self-serving ways
@@teddyperkins3406 Obviously the act of eating human flesh from a dead body is going to make people question themselves even if they HAD to do it to survive. I cannot imagine the guilt they must have felt but I can understand why they felt that way even if they did absolutely nothing wrong.
72 days ago, was the 50th anniversary of this crash. Today is the 50th anniversary of their rescue. 15 of the 16 survivors are still alive today. God bless them.
Lol that was me in the moby dick episode "what probably saved them was that they ate the bone marrow which had the fat they needed to survive" Me: "oh yeah that's smart"
Yeah, but "No-goo-eh-rah" threw me off, xD Is pronnounced more like "No-Gay-Rah" But that one is hard to say for non natives, and yeah, Caitlin tries, most gringos don't even bother.
I think it helps the 'tone' of this story, which is hopeful, that none of the survivors where forced to kill (that I know of) anyone they ate, as the dead ones had already died from either the plane crash or the avalanche. This definitely makes it a less grim tale in my book.
@@ailleananaithnid2566 If you're not religious or dont even believe any.Stop disrespecting.If you just watched the movie inspired by this tragic incident i could tell you prayer was one of their weapons to survive.
The part about a steel pipe being pulled out of his stomach triggered my fight or flight response because of all the times I've heard "never pull out the things you got stabbed with" at school
Yup, my first aider response would've been to leave it in there, but I dunno if he'd have stood any chance with it left in in those conditions, I imagine frostbite could have been a real danger, from the metal... Plus they couldn't have kept it clean with it in there, or applied pressure to prevent blood loss, etc. That's the trouble with only 4 days of first aid training, my knowledge would be useless in those conditions, I just know how to (hopefully!) keep someone alive until the ambulance arrives! I lost track of if that guy made it..?
The "loss of innocence" reminds me of something that happened when I was younger. My little sister had rats and one of them had died. The other rat consumed it and when my sister went to the cage that day and let out a scream which woke the entire street she discovered a partly eaten rat which only the day before was known as "Ronnie" to my sister. Reggie the other rat had a long life afterwards and ended up being buried next to his brother in the back garden.
This reminds me of a story Adam Savage (MythBusters) told about some mice they'd gotten for. The cardboard box is more nutritious then the sugar cereal myth. They fed one lot mouse food, another sugary cereal & the third cardboard. They left for the weekend after giving the mice plenty of their assigned food & water to see them through till Monday. When they came back on Monday they found that of the three cardboard mice only one was still alive. & the other two were dead & had been stripped down to the bone by the living one. Needless to say that part of the myth never made it to air. You can find the entire video of Adam telling the story (which is *WAY* more detailed) on TH-cam just search for Adam Savage cannibal mice. 💀🐁
I had two rats. One of them ripped the face off the other and had scattered its insides about the cage. The body was removed and quickly buried but the other rat went on to live another month before it died getting hung in the toy inside the cage during the night. It was a murder Suicide rat edition.
Ugh. This reminded me of the time I (at 19 years old) inherited a gerbil pair from a friend who was moving. I'd had gerbils or hamsters a few times as a kid, so I was reasonably excited to have gerbils as pets again. The girl who gave them to me said she'd had them for nearly 2 years. After about a year of living happily in my living room, I awoke one morning & eventually sat down in the living room to enjoy my fresh cup of coffee. As I sipped, I kept hearing a strange noise, almost like a crackling sound perhaps. I finally tracked the noise down to the area near the gerbil enclosure & was *HORRIFIED* to see one gerbil *eating the throat of the other* and I didn't know WHAT to do. I eventually got my wits about me, managed to remove the expired gerbil & my fiancé & I gave it a burial in the yard (he made it a nice little coffin for it's final journey). Cleaned out the cage, etc etc. However, I just couldn't look at the surviving gerbil the same way. I couldn't shake the vision (& sound) of him munching his way through his long-time bunkmate's throat, and eventually released him in a little park up the street. Many years later (because this happened at a time WELL before everyone had a computer in the home, & the internet, if you could even afford it, was mostly accessed by dialing up via AOL, CompuServe, and other such ISPs, with the slowest rates you can possibly imagine - even 56k modems were a new-fangled thing)...wait, where was I? Oh, right; anyway, I eventually learned this behavior was not uncommon & the fact that they were likely over 3 years old means there was a decent chance he died of natural causes & the survivor was just instinctually trying to remove his bunkmate so as not to "invite predators" via his eventual decay. But try as I might, I couldn't stop anthropomorphizing him as a vicious cannibal. if you couldn't tell, the whole kinda traumatized me (even more so than the time my hamster had babies & proceeded to eat all 5 of them, *NOT* just the runt of the litter, and then she died too. 😭) , and I still feel bad about every aspect of the situation to this day.
Roberto Canessa was my cousin's doctor when he was little, many years ago, he saved his life. Thanks for telling the story with respect, they deserve it. In uruguay, they are an example of perseverance.
Thinking about it the people that they ate have saved so many lives and not just the survivors, I bet most of those people if not all of them would be very happy that they just didn't die in such a tragic, pointless way.
I am from Uruguay and we always say we have "garra" meaning grit, perseverance, endurance... and we are very proud of those survivors and the many stories about them, like Carlos Paez Vilaro (the father of Carlitos) who never stopped looking for his son, he was one the few who never accepted the idea of the kids being dead. He went around those mountains in jeeps and horses looking for them, and I think I remember that when the kids were found he was one of the last ones to learn because he was up in the mountains looking for them. The human being is capable of amazing and brave things. Thank you for addressing this difficult topic in such a respectful, non-judgmental way!
@@justinhamilton8647 expensive, but great, people go out of their way to help others and the food is amazing. Huge European heritage from Spain, Italy, Switzerland, etc. Beautiful beaches. Check out videos about Punta del Este
Well, dear fellow Uruguayan .... I don't think there's anything exceptional about "la garra charrúa".....I prefer to keep nationalism aside, it never helps. Anyway, it's remarkable how the Uruguayan society could take this people in without being extremely judgmental. Maybe the fact Uruguay isn't as religious as other Latin American countries helped, maybe the fact this boys came from well-to do families helped. One of the survivors sister was my English teacher (I prefer not to say her name) and when she told us her story after knowing her for a long time, I realized how difficult was for the families and how resources help to cope with tragedy.
A real fun thing is that Canessa has been working along with my mom on developing some ventilators for the whole covid thing since the pandemic started. He’s a very funny and cool guy, and honestly I kinda wanna cry about the fact that Caitlin is doing a video on this.
@@eskee1 well, it isn’t really a new kind of vent, they worked along with some engineers to test out ventilators made out of different and more economic materials and also made here in uruguay cause most of the ones we have are brought in from europe or the us and are rather expensive and need maintenance teams to come in from the respective country of origin for maintenance. So essentially the idea was to make some more accessible vents for the population here
For a story about cannibalism, this is weirdly wholesome. They respected their dead and helped each other as much as they could. The Whale Essex (I haven’t watched the other one) felt barbaric, this one feels like humans who were forced to do whatever they can to survive. If I was in this situation and with people like them (which, I hope never happens) I’d want them, ask them even, to consume my body. Not that my choice would matter, but still.
Benthams head is (well was) displayed at my university! There’s a uni legend that Kings College students (a rival nearby university) broke in and played football with his head lol
Does anyone else just *love* our macabre mortician’s ability to pronounce words in other languages properly without missing a beat? No pause or hesitation - just proper pronunciation. It’s really jarring to me, but only because it’s a skill most normal people don’t have. It’s what people *should* sound like if they know about what they’re saying. I love it. Truly a literate and intelligent Queen. We don’t deserve her.
@@PollyGammy She's actually from Hawaii, which she pronounces correctly. AND she has a history with Japanese (Because she's from Hawaii) - One of her friends is Mexican though, so she probly learned some from her long before needing to work on this video.
@@arizonagreenbee And she did re-takes if she didn't get it right. We see a few outtakes, but I'm sure there are hours of stuff that just gets tossed out and re-done. That's what makes the finished product so good.
@@scott2296 Leather is a bit more waterproof than cotton. If they were looking to go on an expedition, keeping the cold wet snow off of their extremities was probably a known concern and tried to forestall it however they could.
Being Chilean, I’ve heard and read this story many, many times, but I feel that the way you narrate this makes it very interesting and helps see how many layers this tragedy has
Pues soy mexicano y fui a Chile en 2019, visité Portillo y afortunadamente estaba muy nevado. Hermoso pero no me podía imaginar gente sobreviviendo sin recursos en un lugar así, mucho menos de noche. Bello país espero volver pronto
I would've thought that that people who believe in transubstantiation, especially, would be less likely to get offended by Cannibalism For A Good Cause. The comparison doesn't seem that far-fetched.
But was it really necessary for them to have put the honey barbeque sauce on the human remains before consumption? It's a grey area. @@jam-the-hologram
it's been working out great for me with the rona. people keep saying "who would have thought it would be this long?". me, I did. I thought two years minimum starting from the march 2020 lockdowns. was pleasantly surprised by the fast vaccine development, and only mildly disappointed by the slow production (I don't live in americafirstland). and now I am entirely prepared for repeated lockdowns being here to stay despite the vaccines until at the very least 2022 when more countries will hopefully adopt a covid management that tolerates no level of transmission and tries to aim for 0 infections, not to anywhere below full hospitals - because before the end of the year, there will be covid variants evolved to evade vaccines around the globe. honestly I don't get why so many people constantly think that the end of the crisis is like one month away.
But then there’s the constant anxiety and inability to do things that you’re convinced are doomed to fail. Then it can be a bit paralyzing. The guys who made the tough decisions were more pragmatic than pessimistic. I think pessimism would have just been assuming there was no chance that anyone would survive and giving up. It’s better to hope for the best and plan for the worst than to be a total optimist or a total pessimist.
I ran away as a teenager during the 90s and my parents had thought the worst after being missing for months so when I was found and did finally return home they had taken all my stuff out of the house because they didn’t wanna look at it every day they said it made them sad, I can relate to that aspect of “coming back from the dead”
All of them might have died the night of the avalanche. The one thing that saved those who ultimately survived the avalanche was, by luck, Roy Harley not only woke up due to the rumbling, but made the spontaneous choice to jump to his feet. As the snow rushed in, everyone else was lying on the bottom of the fuselage and got buried by several feet of snow and other survivor's bodies. Roy was standing and the snow came up to his chest. He was immediately able to spring into action digging out his fellow survivors. Had he remained lying down like the rest, it's likely it would have been killed them all. The two in the suspended hammocks weren't buried, but they were physically unable to move from their hammocks to help dig.
Mate, you look like a sage about this, if you know Spanish check the video "Los secretos de la Tragedia de Los Andes | EN EL CAMINO" from the channel Todo Noticias, uploaded some days ago.
The other day my mom told me that if I ever have to eat her, I should cook her slow, like mutton. Which was thoughtful, but also kind of terrifying that she said that unprompted.
Interesting addition to this story. The plane in which the rugby team was flying was an Uruguayan Fairchild Hiller 227, which belonged to the Uruguayan Airforce, meaning it was a military plane. And their last stop took place in Mendoza, Argentina; which is important because in Argentinian law, no foreign military plane is allowed to be remain in Argentina for more than 24 hours. And that is why the plane had to leave in the afternoon, when it was riskier.
The pilots made an error they were supposed to go through coracle instead they went up into the plancha en Paz and the Fairchild also use the Rolls-Royce engines the dartsand they were under powered by 250 horsepower so they didn't climb very well in thin air
Am glad to note that in the comments I've seen about the survivors here is that those have acknowledged just how difficult it was for the survivors to consider eating, let alone eating, the bodies of the dead. In the end, I think they did what had to be done to survive, but they didn't enter into that lightly. So, I have tremendous respect for them, and for the memories of the dead, too.
There's a short story from Stephen King that literally covers that very idea. I can't remember it's title. You should definitely read it though. I think you'd like it. LOL...since you've already started by eating your tongue (joking of course). Have a good week and weekend!
I wonder what would have happened in the long run if they didn't turn to cannibalism and just all died in the snow. The plane was in the middle of nowhere, would it ever have been found at all? It's probably better to know "yeah, your relative died and we ate them to survive" than just nothing about what happened.
Honestly if my corpse is your only food source... not like I'm using it anymore... And I know damn well my family would know I'd be okay with it. We're pretty irreverent. One of my dad's best friends spread some of his ashes in the gulf and gently told me that he always said he wanted to be buried at sea. I was like "yeah but he probably said something like 'just roll me overboard'" and she laughed with only a little cry.
As Numa said, may he rest in peace "There is no greater love than that which gives one's life for one's friends." It is not cannibalism, it is anthropophagy, cannibalism is killing someone to eat them.
Wait ... Enrique Platero, the guy who basically had a hole in his stomach, lived for a couple more weeks with his intestines and stomach lining hanging out and died because of the avalanche 😳? Omg ....
@Uh Oh Stinky True. And I think it's important to remember that these young men were essentially at the peak of human fitness. The only healthier they could have been would be if they were fit women, that's only because women at the same age have stronger immune systems because their bodies have to be prepared to grow more humans.
If anyone ever comes into a situation like this with me: EAT MY FUCKING FLESH! It's true what the survivors said. Your body is just a flesh cage for your soul. After you die it is basically a soulless shell (filled with protein) Very informative video as always loved it!
Don't forget to ration the liver and eat some of the bone. The muscles meat will give you calories and protein. But if you are planning on staying mobile you'll also have to eat the offal for vitamins and scraped down bone for Calcium.
Just gonna pop by for a safety tip... By all means, I share the sentiment... Just avoid eating any brains and probably the spinal territory... That's where prion issues get started (most notoriously, anyway)... I'm all for doing what you gotta do in this type of situation, but there are some kinds of deaths I'd rather not die... if you understand my meaning. ;o)
I love how you took the effort to pronounce their names correctly with the Spanish accent. This story is freaking incredible and nuts from beginning to end!
The book retelling "Miracle in the Andes" is honestly incredible. I read it when I was in 7th grade and it changed my outlook on life. I totally understand what you mean by uplifting. It's very much a story about how death oddly introduces a new lust for life. So interesting.
I recommend you read 'Society of the Snow', written more than 30 years after the accident, by a close friend of theirs (Pablo Vierci), one of the people who were invited to the flight - he didn't accept the invitation because he had to study for an exam. The survivors say the book 'Alive' tells the facts, and 'Society of the Snow' describes the feelings. The new film 'Society of the Snow' is based on this book, and unlike the film 'Alive' (an awful adaptation), has the approval of the survivors and the families of the deceased.
The ending where everyone offered forgiveness and understanding got me teary eyed. Your storytelling is always on point, but here, you're going extra hard.
It's really heartening that people reacted that way. I can't help but wonder how it would go if it happened now. Or if it happened in the US. Humanity can be ugly sometimes but stories like this are a nice reminder that sometimes people will surprise you.
I've made it clear I can be eaten if necessary. This specific tragedy really made me think. Wasn't a conversation I ever thought would be necessary untill I watched a documentary on this. It's led to me telling my kids I'd haunt them if they didn't eat me to survive😂
If you're going to eat someone and had the choice, I wouldn't choose Landis. Although tall, he's quite thin and wouldn't provide much meat. Sorry, Landis. I swear we aren't planning on eating you.
The woman wailing and crying with the broken legs, trapped under the seats, has straight up haunted me for decades now! I don't remember much from the movie, but I remember that scene! RIP to the lost, and peace to the survivors.
same. I think it's because from the way she described it it seems like the oher survivors didn't even try helping her too much. I mean, we can't blame them they were in crisis, but imagine being there for hours and hours knowing people are near but they are just hearing you die slowly and in agony. And that you will die and there is no escaping it.
All comedic commentary aside, this story is so horrifying and sad. I can’t even imagine having to choose to die of starvation or resort to cannibalism. 😓
Nando was really close to his sister especially and his mother too. As far as I know, he didn't eat them, but when Canessa, Tintin and him took off in their final attempt to get help, he turned around to the others and told them to do so if they had to
I'm usually okay with stories like this but this one just makes me so unbearably sad. My mom used to say it's not what kills you it's what you life through that is horrible, and I think this is a great example of that
When I read Alive what haunted me the most was that first night that came almost immediately after the crash, ignoring the surroundings, cold and with the whimper and whining of the severely hurt. You grow up knowing the story, joking about cannibalism but didn't get the dimension of it until you ponder that, the nights.
This analysis was spot-on, the best of the Cannibalism Saga. I had the honor of actually meeting Gustavo Zerbino face to face years ago, and it's interesting to hear most of this from the mouth of one of the survivors. He told us that in a paradoxical way, hearing that the search was called off on day 10 of the crash not only did not dishearten them as much as one would expect, but actually steeled their resolve that the time had come to switch from a passive to an active role. One of the survivors, I can't remember which, actually said that this was good news, since now they wouldn't have to waste false hope and could actually focus on surviving.
That makes sense. After all, why would you put yourself through the emotional torment of cannibalism if you thought you only needed to hang out for another few hours?
@@TechnologyFML Not just the cannibalism, but everything in general. In Nando Parrado's "Milagro en los Andes" he writes that when they heard that the search was called off one of the survivors who had listened to the radio said "Good news, they called off the search". When another of the survivors asked how the hell that's good news, the response was "Because now we know we'll have to rescue ourselves". It's basically the only reason Parrado and Canessa were able to endure the 10-day trek down the mountains
This does make alot of sense John. When the plane crashed there is always hope. _Yeah they know we've not arrived at our destination so they'll come rescue us_ It's at this point where survivors would be less inclined to search for help. Knowing via the radio. _We're on our own_ Is clearly a character defining moment.. .... Interesting to surmise if they had not got the radio working and subsequently *not* received that message would they have continued on to the path of canablism......?
I heard one of the survivors (Cannesa) tell the story at a convention. Not going into the actual details of catabolism, he did say that if any of his team mates needed an organ transplant, anyone would have volunteered. He likened eating the dead muscles as using a transplant organ. Interesting way to look at it.
I have to agree with the guy who said that the moral thing to do was live. I truly believe that in situations like that, the best way to honor the dead is to survive.
I'm a Uruguayan and very familiar with the story. These men were heroes and are considered heroes in Uruguay. They were smart, educated( actually from the most prestigious university in the country), and Christian. They were respectful to the dead and saved eachother from death. I had a chance to visit the actual plane used to make the movie, it's in the outskirts of Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. Very moving even if it was just s movie prop. The whole country understood what they had to do to survived and there are no hard feelings with families of the dead.
The book Alive mentions that after the rescue, it was learned that a few miles away from the plane crash site was a cabin, not occupied at that time, but stocked with plenty of canned food.
A vivid memory of my dear, now deceased, father. I was 7/8 years old. He showed me and my little brother the picture shown at 33:40. He asked us if we saw anything wrong with this picture. Being in the age ranges of 5-8, we said no. He zoomed in. "That's a human spine." We were very confused. "They were in a plane crash and had to eat people to survive." Cool, thanks dad. Miss you always. I never wondered where my fascination with death came from.
You didn't know it then, but your dad was showing you what people do to survive, because he was worried that if you kids ever got into a situation like this, he would want you to survive.
They were the bravest people I have ever heard of; they did this for unselfish reasons so that they could get back to their families. Also, what determination it took to travel over that terrain for help and succeeding.
Nandi’s book is called, “Miracle in the Andes”. It’s a great read because it was written 20-25 years after the crash and is very personal. It also gives updates on the survivors and how they adjusted. Fascinating.
Oddly enough, reading Small Gods by Terry Pratchett at the moment. This passage springs to mind: "An hour later the lion, who was limping after Brutha, also arrived at the grave. It had lived in the desert for sixteen years, and the reason it had lived so long was that it had not died, and it had not died because it never wasted handy protein. It dug. Humans have always wasted handy protein ever since they started wondering who had lived in it. But, on the whole, there are worse places to be buried than inside a lion."
I watched the newer movie based on this that came out on Netflix. It was both horrific and inspiring. They beat the odds over and over again. I love the quote from Nando that (basically, and not verbatim) said, " .. i made every step after toward love, and that saved me. " ❤❤❤ i love that.
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Roberto Canessa used to be my cardiologist when I was a young girl. He has dedicated his life to treating children with congenital heart defects and has saved a lot of lives. Exceptional man.
He treated me too. My dad went to school with them but he never played rugby. There's no Uruguayan that doesn't know the story
I find the whole story (and survival) extraordinary. What a blessing to be treated by someone who went through such a life changing event, someone who understands the human instinct to survive. I hope you are having a healthy life. 💜
That’s amazing!!! Thank you for sharing
Wow Its a small world ! Six degrees of separation kind of thing ! It is so wonderful to hear he did what he set out to do, save as many lives as possible
My daughter has CHD. Cardiologists become family. Thanks for sharing.
What I learned from this:
1. Leave early
2. Bring food
3. Always carry warm socks
4. Remember that you are only a few weeks from eating your peers.
Fat friends are good.
Weeks?! Oh, you'd be a better peer than me 😅
(This is Peter's wife writing) I grew up watching disaster movies like "The Poseidon Adventure" and "Towering Inferno". There was always some poor woman trying to climb down off a mountain or out of a collapsed building while wearing stiletto heels and a party dress. I made a vow to myself back then that, if I ever had to run (or climb) away from danger, my shoes weren't going to stop me.
@@peterdeane4490 Peter's wife is a wise woman. I vote we don't eat her!
@@staceyann1180 I second your brilliant idea! Save Peter's wife! She's my kind of gal-- ditch the heels & LBD if you wanna live . 😁😁😁
Considering they had no significant training and absolutely no advance warning, they did an amazing job at organizing themselves as well as they could.
Besides, it was the end of Summer so they didn't have warm clothes on the plane with them and you don't have ice or snow in Uruguay so it was a truly new and puzzling experience for them.
@@Elvenboyslut yea they got the nutritional science just right.
Most other people would just be eating the muscles they are used to already eating but would ignore the bones and liver and stuff.
@@Elvenboyslut Good point. Still, it’s impressive that they could adapt the medical training they did have to a survival scenario like that. Knowledge can make a doctor good but knowledge and resourcefulness makes a doctor (or medical student in this case) great.
the fact they were team mates before the accident was probably a big factor of success. and their good physical condition.
@@emilychb6621 in Uruguay it’s pretty common to eat cow kidneys, intestines and all that, that might’ve been a factor
Nando Parrado not only lost his sister, mother and his best friend in that accident but also broke his skull and was in a coma for 3 days. He recovered, trained every day under the extreme weather and walked for 10 days to find help and save his friends. What a legend
He went on to become a successful businessman, race-car driver, and naturally, a motivational speaker
If I die and I'm just sitting there, looking juicy, eat me. What the hell does it matter to me? Save yourself.
Lmaooooo that's exactly what I was thinking 😅 "I mean, I'm chubby, so I probably wouldn't taste too horrible. Don't die out of "respect" for my usless meat sack. Get some calories out of me at least, it's literally the only way I can help now."
@@daylightbright7675 also a good way to lose some weight :-)
I don’t think I’d taste good...all the drugs & alcohol. But I bet there’s a lot of drugs stuck in my fat cells. Could be a nice time...if that’s how it works...?
"Looking juicy"😂
Good comment couldn't agree more but the profile pic of Holly is 10/10 👌
Before I watch this, I want to say that Roberto Canessa came to my school in Buenos Aires around the time his book came out. One of my classmates asked if he was afraid of flying: he shrugged and firmly said no, not at all. Then he told us that he was on a flight many years later and they hit a LOT of turbulence. A woman sitting next to him started panicking. She turned to him and asked "What if we crash??" and he said "Don't worry, ma'am, planes don't just fall out of the sky!" He gave us such a rueful smile and was so sweet, his visit really stuck with me.
Edit: Watched it, loved it (of course).
Ojalá hubiera vivido alguna visita de cualquiera de los sobrevivientes, me habría gustado mucho tener esa experiencia, pero nací un poco tarde para tenerla
Oh my goodness what a legend hahaha
That must have been a wonderful visit from Señor Canessa.
I never read the book but, I remember his name from the movie.
I think that the survivors went on to live normal lives. I'm thankful for that, and wish them nothing but the best.
Wow that must have been one of those experiences you realise was super cool, the more you mature. Like, you’re a teenager in high school “oh cool some guy from a plane crash”. 10 years later, “holy frick that was fricken incredible that I got to hear one of those guys talk.”
Lol
Thanks for sharing your story, it was so randomly interesting.
He also said the possibility of an airplane falling for the second time with him inside were very little. 😂🤣 so no worry if you fly with any of them.
I almost cried a little hearing that they were accepted and forgiven when they returned. They absolutely deserved to be safe and loved after everything they went through
In dire situations you do what you gotta do.
I see no problem eating people who had already died in order to survive if your only other choice is to die.
Now if you had killed someone for the purpose of eating them then that's a different story because your throwing murder into the mix.
@@stacyk123
Indeed. This was done as a desperate last measure attempt to preserve human lives at no further cost of other human lives and the ones that had to do it were in the horrific situation through no fault of their own.
If I had to die in such a situation, I would take some comfort with the fact that atleast eating my body COULD give the others a chance to make it back to their loved ones alive.
at first, there was some backlash from the public because there was rumors that they killed them for the meat, but they were forgiven after they explained the situation because hey, they just did what they had to do to survive, and the people who died would have wanted them to survive and go back home by whatever means necessary. humans have always engaged in cannibalism in desperate situations; eating the bodies of the dead in this type of situation, i think, is a way of honoring them by continuing to live for their sake. if i died in this type of situation, i know i would rest easy knowing that at least my body would be something to eat.
It made me a little angry. I mean who thought they had a right to judge them in the first place! Yea though, it was nice to hear.
The only thing I don't agree with is letting people suffer and die when they had a gun.
That Pilot was hurting and I believe he had the right to end his pain. Making him suffer was pointless.
If it was me, I would want to be shot.
Nando & Canessa travelled 40 miles through in 10 days to find the "man on the horse". Their first 3 days were spent climbing the first mountain they encountered along the way in ridiculous conditions. Truly incredible. Seasoned mountain climbers with the proper gear retraced their steps and commented on how miraculous the feat was that they had accomplished...Love this story to pieces.
Let's not forget to mention Antonio 'Tintín' Vizintín, who climbed the highest mountain for three days being unaware of the fact that he was carrying the heaviest backpack, and whose toes were destroyed for having kicked the ice to make 'steps'. Over 30 years later, he found out that he'd been carrying 40 kilos (88 pounds) of 'food' and water.
@@Adifgreat
Why do you put quotes around the word "food"?
@@spaceman081447probably because human flesh is not normally considered food
@@jamespaul2587
OK. That makes sense.
They walked 38 kms, that´s 23,6 miles
Heads up: if I ever die while stranded with you and there's no other food around and no rescue in sight, feel free to eat me. but do NOT kill me to eat me. That's mean.
Gosh what ever happened to the good old days of cannibalism etiquette
Depends how you want to put that..
🤣🤣🤣
Just imagine everyone looking at you waiting for you to die to eat😬
so you want to be eaten alive?
If I died in a situation like this I have no worries about feeding my friends. I'm an organ donor, so if it keeps some one alive then go for it.
Deciding to let someone eat your body is one thing but making the decision to eat someone else is a whole other issue
@Ali Ajmeri yes. They wouldn’t necessarily respect it if they were desperate. But we’re all still human and I would expect people to care about each other and show each other some dignity even in unimaginable situations.
same. We eat animals for survival so what is the difference with humans in a survival situation.
@@O_Ciel_Phant0mhive Some people dont...eat animals, I mean.
Me included.
But then that is when the choice is still possible.
And yes, if starvation loomed, I would kill and eat animals. Would probably also eat human bodies. Staying alive is a strong motivator. Making conscious consumer choices when you have the leisure to do so is different from needing to stay alive.
Only question remains - who would - like in the first two videos - decide to kill other people to eat them. Human experience shows there usually are some.
The siege of Leningrad gives some quite horrible examples of this, as well as a wonderful example of people guarding a whole vault of edible seeds and grain samples , while their coworkers and families starved to death over three years without ever touching their "charges".
Exactly
Having a metal spike pulled from your gut and then being told to get to work is the dictionary definition of the phrase: “Quit bellyaching.”
underrated.
I literally spit out my coffee lol 😆
Literally
Bosses ...
"Believe me, I'd love to"
I am old enough to remember when this happened. People were so happy to hear they survived, but that attitude towards them changed when they found out they had resorted to cannibalism.
Its easy to sit in your recliner watching this on the evening news, saying how you would never do this. You do not know what you would do unless you are in this situation. Nobody wants to eat human flesh, but the will to survive is very strong.
I agree, never say never.
Very true.
Yes i agree. Dont judge starving people if you have a fridge full of foid avaiable
@@blueblack3591imagine surviving a plane crash only to find yourself in absolutely lethal conditions, having to resort to eating their friends to survive.. The amount of physical and mental trauma these people went through to then come back to safety and be vilified for doing what needed to be done to survive. Awful.
I wonder if people still hold the same opinions about the survivors nowadays :((
He stuffed his intestines back into his body?
That is seriously...metal.
Br000tal AF
Did he live or eventually die?
Icy colon - yummy - he stuffed it back in for warming it up a little bit (easier to chew).
@@geraldettmayr8435 disgusting and pretty heartless! These people suffered horribly and would have to endure this embroiled in their minds for the remainder of their lives! Did you see the movie, "Alive"? It was really brutal!
@@1BethMcBeth No. But I saw 2 documentaries and afterwards read Newspaper articles about it.
Yes I have empathy for them more than you might imagine.
But it's over and long gone. I myself survived a very very freezing situation once and will be forever thankful that I survived. And I still have some humor and sarcasm for almost everything even myself. I would have been an isicle.
better-than-netflix quality documentary and she pays people fair wages. and also does LEGIT research on factual and cultural information. we stan caitlin beyond words.
Yes! I stan this comment also
Caitlin is a Queen 👑
Im really not sure what stan means but I agree with the sentiment! 😂👏 Caitlin is an absolute legend ☺️
Also, she does amazing work on pronouncing names and locations correctly.
@@bubblegumbabe21, "stan" is like a version of "simp" that decent people can use without feeling icky.
if i died and my besties were starving i would be super pissed if they didn’t eat me
Same
Same
Yes’nt
I completely agree.
Same
Lilliana Methol. The one badass mama who survived for weeks alongside those young men...what a saint. 4 young children at home, she was suffering, starving, and freezing but still took on a nurturing role. She was the embodiment of motherhood. Thankfully she died quickly in the avalanche. RIP sweet angel.
I’m not catholic but this woman should be the saint of motherhood
Two weeks and a half.
Why badass, that trivializes things, she wasn't badass, she was a good human being. Don't need to be badass to be a good person.
@@analmf1210 wow, you're a real hoot!
@@analmf1210let people hype up a woman who did something most people couldn’t even think of enduring. Not many people could’ve stayed sane and calm and put others before their innate human desire to live in the way she did in such an extreme situation, and she deserves to be called a badass for it
They thought Nando was going to die and they put him towards the back of the fuselage where it was the absolute coldest, and that healed his brain from his head injury.
Really? Wow! I remember reading the book alive in 2001 when I was pregnant with my son but I don't remember reading that so cool info.
@@delilasloan8914 It was in a documentary they did on the History Channel.
I've heard of brain cooling for head injuries, that makes sense now that you explained it.
@@delilasloan8914 Cool info? I see what you did there...
A small addition to this comment, Nando Parrado wrote a book titled "Miracle in the Andes" and in there he mentions that the colder temperature probably SAVED his life by reducing the inflamation within his skull. But it didn't heal his head wound per se.
“Be on time, or CANNIBALISM.”
The late get ate
@@AxxLAfriku wha-
I loved that. It sounds like a German fairytale.
@@prismstudios001 my new mantra
I will TOTALLY use that the next time my partner drags his heels gettin ready for our vacations. I swear that man will be late for his own funeral.
At least here in Argentina, the yellow press tried to paint them as savages and psychopaths. I remember as a small kid seeing those headlines and being scared. But then I read an interview with one of them and it became apparent that he was just a regular person stuck in the worse situation possible. They did him wrong just to sell papers
Tal cual! Por suerte se desmitificó y desestigmatizó bastante el tema, y actualmente se comparte la perspectiva más empática... Poor guys, they went through a lot!
Typical media
Just like in America, most press is evil.
@@plantlvr unfortunately that type of yellow press simply sells better.
There's quite a number of good publications, it's just that they won't go viral with outrageous click bait articles daily.
Truthful reporting of facts simply is too boring to make money.
Press do that shit 24/7/365
Here again after watching the phenomenal Netflix film Society of the Snow. It was incredibly detailed and a stark contrast of the movie Alive. It was immersive and heart wrenching and inspiring. I am in awe of these people’s will to live. I still can’t fathom what they endured.
Yes! The film was my true introduction to this incredible story after hearing bits and pieces throughout my life (the first being a connection to the Donner Party in my 6th grade Social Studies class) and I've watched it over and over. Now I'm looking into more videos and stories about the survivors.
Something I learned while watching the movie is that 3 of the survivors were actually in the movie! 2 of them (I can't remember their names off hand unfortunately) were in the airport, and Carlitos played his father reading out the survivors' list. That had to have been a very emotional day for him and the other survivors.
Would you recommend the Alive movie? Or was it so sensalized that it's not worth it?
The movie is based on the book 'Society of the Snow' by Pablo Vierci, and the book is based on the extensive interviews made for this documentary:
th-cam.com/video/-kxIZ1dRsKo/w-d-xo.html
The story told by the 16 survivors, including the two who's always kept away from the public eye (Bobby Francois and Pancho Delgado).
In the Book, "Alive" it was pointed out the reason they were no found immediately was the plane was not where everyone thought it was. They were looking in Chile, but the plane was actually in Argentina.
And if they had kept East from the tail for another two of three hours, the would have come to a Argentine Ski Resort that was still open.
The Argentine Army goes back to the crash site every few years as as a training exercise in Mountain Warfare, the search for any body parts and bury them if found. Then their Chaplin conducts a ceremony at the Cross.
Wow. That's super interesting! And brilliant!
Thank you, Mr. Landis!! Wherever you are!!👏
Also, the south turn they took made people look on the wrong spot.
So close, but they didn't know the resort was there. So many tragedies where people died just short of help because of the lack of knowledge.
ive seen the movie adaptation though.
“Leave on time or...CANNIBALISM.”
That’s a coffee mug.
Maybe that’s why dads want us to be at the airport 4 hours before the plane leaves
@@McSnezzly Listen to your dad or...CANNIBALISM.
merch!
Please make this merch!!!!!!
I’d buy that mug 😂😂
Honestly, these young people are extraordinary. They were extremely resourceful, organized, and cooperative in such a horrific situation. They were willing to act instead of sitting around and letting themselves freeze or starve to death. Despite turning to cannibalism, they were still civilized and didn't try to abuse or take advantage of one another.
Fr, the fact that there were people like Canessa and Nando who stepped up when their "leader" gave up was so inspiring. I am so amazed by their dedication.
I wonder if the fact they were already a team helped that dynamic - they were used to working with each other, taking different roles, knowing who was strong with what, and willing to let that person take the lead in whatever situation they could contribute to. I'm also really heartened by how they reconciled the necessity of cannibalism with their relationships, social and cultural dynamics, and religion - and that others understood once they were rescued. They didn't try to kill each other or leave people to die just for food, but honored their dead. I's pretty incredible.
Very Honorable Men
@@seir323 I agree One Thousand Percent!
Except for the fact they decided to let a man bleed out for hours instead of letting him end his misery.
And they just left that woman under the seats, without trying to do anything or comfort her.
José Luis 'Coche' Inciarte, who lived this tragedy at the age of 24, died from cancer on 27 July 2023. Like most of the passengers on that plane, he was not part of the rugby team.
With a badly injured leg he had to 'operate on' with a razor blade to drain the pus, and seeing the days go by with no news about the expeditionaries (Canessa and Parrado), he decided to wait until Christmas Eve to let himself die in the Andes. Fortunately, the rescue helicopters arrived on 22nd December.
He is described by the survivors as 'the sense of humour in the mountains', and as the one who brought tenderness to the hell they were living in.
Don't judge a man until you've walked a mile in his elbow sox.
LOL
I laughed my ass off to this now my husband thinks I'm crazy
Bahahaha!
Lol. But seriously your comment is correct.
Because none of us know how. wed react in that situation...
Pablo, I didn't want to laugh. It was an involuntary response to the shocking, yet accurate humor.
The flight attendant announced they'd be landing soon.
Technically not wrong.
Technically correct is the best kind of correct! Maybe not so much in this case, though.
My thoughts exactly.
Crash landing is landing. 😬
And there was a meal service. Co-pilot.
“When Christ died he gave his body to us so we can have spiritual life. My friend has given us his body so we can have physical life” Excuse me while I go cry 😭 that’s beautiful
Indeed.
Personally for me.
If I were in that situation I would like to say a prayer to the deceased so they could rest in peace and perhaps apologize for eating thier corpse?
This would I guess, make one more accepting of the act
[of canablism].
@@stuartd9741 or thank them like the native Americans thank a deer that they hunt
@@stuartd9741 I would certainly be praying for their souls to be at peace and express how sorry I am that they had to leave us. But with that great loss, how humbled and honored I'd feel, that they are saving lives.
@@dianeaishamonday9125 Given the fact that the passengers were uruguayan (there are native americans in Uruguay, but neither of the passengers was native american and, of course, they were not deers either) and being the 70s, they were all, most likely, devout catholics... I'm pretty sure a prayer was the most respectful thing to do in that case.
@@dianeaishamonday9125 Exactly. It's just respect for the dead thats all.
I'm uruguayan. As a teenager, I had the honor to meet Canessa when he went to my hometown to talk about the accident. I still get chills when I remember it... This man is so strong, humble, and smart. He's a recognised cardiologist nowadays, treating children with congenital cardiopathies even before they're born. Kids "whose voice can't be heard, just like ours couldn't be heard on the mountain." Hearing this story from one of the survivors is something I'll never forget. Thank you for making this video, Caitlin!! Amazing as always ❤
Can't get enough of your stuff...entertaining and hilarious, thank you.
I love how properly you pronounce Spanish names, it is a rare treat to hear people in the US do so.
As an American trying to learn Spanish (and with what others have told me is a pretty good accent) it does suck that most people don't bother to try with the pronunciation. I will, however, say that at least we arent as bad at it as the Brits 🙈
A lot of people in the US find it obnoxious when people do that, so I'm glad to hear that you found it to be the opposite.
My father learned to speak Spanish fluently in the military, but he spoke it with a NY accent. It would take you a few seconds to figure out if he was speaking English or Spanish-lol.
She is from California
she said sergio wrong lol...but its cool
The "collapse of the optimists" aspect of this story is a fascinating one to me. I've read it argued that it represents a kind of 'species survival trait' to have both kinds of people. Some hold it together in the immediate aftermath of a crisis, and fall apart later because they haven't processed (sometimes months or years later, even). But by the time the 'optimists' are falling apart, those who broke down right away have recovered. Neither approach is good or bad, it's just a pattern that means there's going to be *someone* able to do what has to be done throughout hard times.
Yep, and that also points that a common theme that is touted these days as a virtue of emotionally sympathizing with people that are struggling, instead of being strong and helping them push through, can be actually destructive.
@@trinidad17 ...if you are starving on top of a mountain. That's not a generalisable political lesson.
@@merrymachiavelli2041 Yeah but only because most people do not have it that bad and act as they do. And not only that, as "a political lesson" like you put it, they are not even close to a life and death situation but emotionally react as if that was the case, but want others to "sympathize" by bringing them down to their same level, instead of recognizing that it is good that other people are emotionally stronger so they can help them.
So sure, it's not the same because if you are starving and stranded in an ice desert you do have a very real reason to feel desperate, but even then it is a group survival trait that others can stay strong, so with that in mind that second aspect can apply to people with emotional issues, much easier if they are under better circumstances.
@@trinidad17 My point is that none of that is relevant to how we should organise our societies or outside of survival situations, which most people will never be in.
-
Survival stories are interesting and say a lot about human psychology in high-stress situations, but drawing grand revelations about what is and isn't a virtue seems flawed.
-
Unless, of course, you are only talking about survival situations. In which case, I apologise for the misunderstanding.
@@trinidad17 sympathising with them doesn't mean infantilising them or yourself. You can emotionally sympathise with someone, encourage them and show them strength and support. It doesnt melt your brain to emotionally sympathise with people. Stop being dramatic and conflating two things that can't be conflated. You're doing sympathising wrong and/or drinking some good old Koolaid.
If I'm ever in a situation like this and I am one of the dead, I fully expect the survivors to eat my corpse. I mean, I'm dead. Leaving my body to lay around and rot is not going to bring me back and isn't going to help anyone. Knowing I saved people's lives is the best legacy you could ask for.
Its like if you are an organ donor, you are giving someone the gift of life 😊
I agree. Yeah, it'll be sad and tragic and all that but survive, get safe, and then mourn me or whatever and if my meat suit helps you survive, tis a bonus.
Totally agree
I'm also strongly on team cannibalize my remains.
Looking at the replies to your comment, I know who I want to go adventuring with.
Imagine being Nando, his promise that he made to return home to his father and the love he has for his father pushed him through. And this love got him home.
But when he returned home he discovered his father had sold all of his things (presumably also Susie's things, and his mother's things) and gotten a new girlfriend. Just over two months later.
I could not imagine.
that's one slap in the face. i would blown a gasket over that.
Imagine being his father though, everything that he had worked for, the family he had spent most of his life with were just gone in an instant. I have a hard time casting judgment on the man, he had lost everything (at least he thought he did) in a single day. I'm sure to him at that point his house had become a memorial to the Dead, a constant reminder of everything.
@@nicklewis470 Exactly. And the girlfriend thing was probably him desperately trying to move on from the tragedy, not out of disrespect
@@claralima1967 a rebound type thing. like… “maybe this will help me forget and avoid the tragedy I’m having a hard time recovering from”
@@claralima1967 But it had been 2 months! Many families were still looking for the survivors. You're telling me he lost hope, grieved, and tried to move on within 2 months??
Caitlin is one of the *greatest* storytellers on TH-cam. Period.
the only better storyteller is eleanor neale i stg
Lamont at large is also pretty cool..was recommended from watching her channel.
Feels like I'm living exactly what story she's telling
I'd say Stephanie harlowe as well as Caitlin
I've shared her video on the Edmund Fitzgerald all over because it's so good.
ngl if i was in a disaster situation w my friends i’d be okay with them eating me if i’m dead, i’d rather they survive than respect my dead body and die as well
Same. Better my friends eat my nice calves then the worms or other decomposing agents.
If it keeps my fiends alive to live, eat away.
respecting the dead doesn’t just mean not touching them! they can easily be respecting your wishes by consuming you.
If ever on a deserted tropical island, I'm so pale I would promptly spontaneously combust in sunlight, thus provided fire and food to all. Bon apetit!!
Agreed. I would already be dead, I won't have any use of my decaying flesh anyway. If it keeps them alive, feel free to munch.
I think the biggest difference, nutritionally, between this event and the Donner Party and Essex events is that the people whose remains sustained the survivors in this case died of trauma, meaning that there was actual nutrition still available in them. The Donner Party and Essex sailors ate the flesh of those who had already been starving.
Good point
The Donner party also killed ppl to eat so there’s that.
@@onelittleplum yup they killed actual families not just one or two people, there was one family they killed that had two young girls. Hearing about them eating the children in school was horrific
Plus they actually killed people to eat them, the Andes' survivors didn't kill anyone
@@kylieminou7775 I hate to be "that guy," but can we ever truly know that? If the Andes' survivors DID kill anyone, they would never have told about it, would they? The story would appear the exact same to us as currently presented.
who’s watching this after watching the society of snow? double the points if you watched the movie because of having watch this video almost 3 years ago (i feel like only over year a has passed)
Came because. Well, Yellowjackets
I'm rewatching this because a co-worker mentioned the Netflix and when she was explaining it, I was like "oh! I've seen a TH-cam documentary about that"
I watched the movie when it was in theaters and at the time I remember thinking the plane crash was one of the most realistic crash depictions I had ever seen.
With extra detail...!!
Rewatching because of it.
I love that they were up there, struggling for survival and were like “you know what we need to do? Takes pictures of us just smiling and hanging out like it’s all hunky dory”
They found a camera and decided to document their survival, so that if they all later died and rescuers eventually found the plane they'd know what had happened :) Plus, not like they had an awful lot of things to do up there in the snow. All they could do was sit around, tinker with the little stuff they had, and talk. Must've been incredibly boring after a while!
On one of the treks to find help a few of the survivors found the tail section of the plane and there were comic books in it. They set up camp there and stayed up late reading them. At first I thought it was weird but if you're trying to escape from such a horrible situation even for a moment it makes a lot of sense.
@@allypally1768 There was also some real food, in addition to several people who weren't emaciated.
Right?! I was shocked a bit when she zoomed in on the picked clean ribcage/spine to the right of the gang all just grinning and laid back like it's a barbecue. Sheesh. Why smile so big. Maybe I'd have smiled but there's no way I'd show teeth! Lol
@@Janellabelle People can get used to just about anything.
One of the boys that were sucked when the tail struck the mountain was my uncle Gaston Costemalle.
I’m also related to Roberto Canessa but Gaston’s death was obviously more impactful to my family. Gaston was engaged to my aunt at that time so technically he never became my uncle.
I’m glad this story reaches new audiences but I think people need to speak about those lost in the accident as well. For instance, Gaston’s father had died in the late 60’s. His only brother died only a couple of years earlier, in 1969 I believe, when his canoe sunk during an excursion in the beaches of Carrasco. When Gaston died in 1972, his mother Blanca was the only member of the Costemalle Jardi family that remained. Being that he never got to make a name for himself or have a family of his own I think we, or at least I, should try and keep his memory alive.
Thank you for letting us know. I've often wondered what happened with the families of the survivors.
This is why I love Caitlyns channel so much.
She can put a face on those she discusses, and never denies them of their humanity.
I've learned a lot about people, both alive and dead through watching her.
Thank you for sharing Gastons memory, and how the others like Blanca survived their loss.
I'm sorry for your family's loss. It's an amazing story, and I personally have never forgotten the people who did not survive.
Thanks for sharing your familys story.
El dolor que la madre de Gastón debe haber sentido es una de las cosas que más me pone triste cuando leo sobre la historia.. Me dá mucha lastima, no consigo imaginar como se sobrevive a tanto sufrimiento y el desespero que debe ser
That avalanche was really adding insult to injury.
I just keep thinking about how so many more of them would have been alive if not for the avalanche
@@mckno8798 I'm not so sure about that, those were extra mouths to feed for many weeks ahead
In the book “alive” the avalanche is truly horrific one of those books I’ve never forgotten reading I read it at 14 I’m now 44.
@Call Me AK absolutely it’s by piers Paul Reid I read it way back in secondary school it’s one of those books along with columbine by Dave Cullen that have stayed with me long after reading. It’s heartbreaking yet uplifting. A must read if u want to know more.
exactly. That was really fucked up. This is why I will never be truly proud of this world.
I appreciate Marcelo and Delgado, they were the right leaders at the right time. When a tragedy strikes, having someone who tries to be positive and keep hope up is empowering, and at those first days, the group needed the strength of "we'll be fine, we'll survive, we'll be rescued". Once that possibility was exhausted, they needed people who could get strength from "ok, we can deal with this, we'll rescue ourselves". Without the first two immediately getting to work and keeping morale up, they all probably would've given up right away
Its a shame Marcelo died, he tried so hard to keep everyone standing, even after he and Pancho were wrecked after hearing the search had been called off. Atleast Pancho survived
@@stupidsteven2421Marcelo died on October 29 which was his father's death anniversary. His father had died four years before. His sister said in an interview she believes Marcelo was called by their dad that day
In regards to Nando Parrado, whose drive and determination was instrumental in getting them off the mountain, might not have survived the first night. Or he might have become too weak/debilitated to climb later. Two small but major decisions that first night on the mountain helped turned this from a total tragedy into a miracle of survival. The first was Nando was left for dead and placed in a freezing part of the plane. This helped ease the swelling from his head injury and avoid death from that. However, hypothermia and frostbite became the new threats. As the night progressed, Diego Storm noticed Nando didn't seem that bad. So he and another pulled Nando between them to share warmth. These two choices, made when they did, likely saved Nando, and, ultimately, the rest of the survivors at the end. So when people say Nando was the main rescuer, he always denies this saying that they all, living and dead, had a part of 16 people getting off the mountain.
I love this fact! That is absolutely fascinating. Could I ask the source of it?
@@georgiabaddeley6606 It's been a while and I've read and watched several of the personal accounts from the survivors, but I think it was in Nando Parrado's book "Miracle In the Andes". There is also a History Channel documentary about it that I believe covers the luck Nando had in terms of surviving his own head injury by leaving him out in the snow long enough for the swelling to go down.
@@xel1673 Thank you, you're a legend! 🙏
Nando's biggest motivation for escaping was that he didn't want to have to eat his mother and sister. But, before he left, he gave permission to the others to do so if his mission failed.
@@Latabrine Based on his words in his personal account of his survival "Miracle In the Andes", I think Nando's first personal motivation was to get back to his father. The devastation Nando felt losing his sister and mother he then applied to his father, who he realized thought his wife, daughter and even his son was dead. Imagining his father experiencing an even greater emotional loss than his own drove Nando to get out. To show his father not all was lost and he was still living.
The fear of having to consume his mother and sister was probably 2nd to that, since Nando's determination to save themselves and escape on foot was cemented before the survivors ever consumed any of the dead. Once his sister died on the 3rd or 4th day after the crash, Nando was ready to walk out and advocating the idea, which prompted him to go on to suggest to Carlitos they should eat the pilot to get the energy needed to do it. The survivors didn't start to eat the dead until around the 10th day.
Can we please talk about the guy who stuffed his intestines back inside himself and got on with it . That lad has some hella strength!
and died in the avalanche :(
Tip from a trauma medic: If you are ever around when someone is eviscerated (organs hanging out) and no proper medical help or equipment is around, best thing to do is gently place the organs into a plastic bag and lay them on top of the opening.
@@thelovelymisshill imagine you see someone walking on the road and you think they’re holding a bag of groceries but as you get closer it’s a bag of their INTERNAL ORGANS
He was definitely suffering shock it’s common in horrible injuries like that I think his brain was trying to protect him
Please stop using our words wrong .. "some hella" is incorrect
Uruguayan deathling here!! We grow up hearing this story, even the most dark details, to remind us that we are stronger than we actually think.
X2 🙌 🇺🇾
X3! 🇺🇾🇺🇾
Damnit I wasn't raisied hearing any heroin Survivor stories! I'm jealous!
I grew up in Europe and my mum told me that story. She was a teenager at that time.
I'm American so, my only knowledge comes from the movie. I'm thankful that Caitlin is covering this story. It's being treated as a documentary of sorts.
For many years, this event was mostly known in the world because of the film 'Alive', a very distorted version of the real story. And even worse, most of the videos in English (not this one) on this incident are based on that movie. The survivors find 'Alive' superficial and unrealistic.
In 'Alive', a lot of the facts were changed (not minor details) and others were made up just to give Ethan Hawke's character the role of the 'superhero', whereas the other characters are practically passive spectators who depend entirely on Nando's initiative. In reality, what took those young men out of the mountains was the extraordinary team work, the resourcefulness and the heroic actions of the whole group, including many of those who died in the snow.
The main leaders were the Strauch cousins, but as the survivors say, each one of them was a leader depending on the moment and the skills needed during the 72 days they were stranded in the Andes.
Yeah, the Strauch cousins were the one who were in charge with cuttting the dead bodie and giving the "food" rations. I think Eduardo had a book but it is not translated in english. He mostly kept a quiet life afterwards and must have been much traumatised since he was the one who cut the body. His cousin Fito was the one handling the food to the other survivors and nowadays I think he still can't believe how popular the story of their survival have become.
@milcaharchives8556 The three cousins were the strategists, they were in charge of planning all the group's actions.
Eduardo and Daniel Fernández Strauch give conferences all over the world. While Daniel's never been back to the crash site, Fito's returned several times, and Eduardo visits the place every year.
'Out of the Silence: After the crash' is the English version of Eduardo's book. I think Daniel's book (Regreso a la montaña) has not been translated.
Have you seen society of the snow? I liked it way more than Alive
@@Adifgreatwasn't daniel the one that died? there was only fito and eduardo I think
@@huh4206 Daniel Shaw, the other cousin of Eduardo and Fito, died in the crash.
Damn, I was really rooting for Enrique, my man got impaled and made it two weeks before getting killed by an avalanche :(
He probably would have died eventually, 70 plus days would be too long to survive with that kinda injury. Since Raphael succumbed due to gangrene he would not have made it either.
@@skysolitude I’d really like to know if he could’ve made it, would be beyond badass
Damn indeed.
Honestly that piece about "the body of Christ" is quite poignant even for an agnostic like myself! People talk about that sacrifice with awe and gratefulness all the time. This event is the closest neighbor to that ancient story.
Well, the sacrifice of the body being good isn't exclusive to Christianity- it's in many other places like Egyptian Osiris, or Norse mythology Odin or Kvasir or the first giants.
It's symbolic. Nobody ate Jesus' flesh.
@@evabartlett4599 well, Catholics would disagree with you. At least in my country, the doctrine is that thr communion actually turns into physical flesh of Jesus when swallowed. My mother was raised Catholic, and she was shocked to find out that no, this is not a metaphor for them.
@@cawareyoudoin7379 I am aware of the Catholic view on it. It's disturbing and not at all Biblical. Drinking blood is forbidden.
@@evabartlett4599 I know that lmao
The Pope actually personally assured them that they where not in trouble since some of the survivors thought they would be damned to hell for all eternity for what they had done
the bible explicitly tells you not to eat people?
@@teddyperkins3406 the bible also as alcohol fueled incest. And again, distintion between killing and eating or desperately eating the already dead
@@teddyperkins3406 bible also says that one of gods greatest commandments is the preservation of life. So.....I don't know maybe hire a lawyer before you die.
@@owenwatkins9490 isnt it a little ironic considering how many people have been killed by "devout" religious people throughout history? its almost as though people are interpreting religion in self-serving ways
@@teddyperkins3406 Obviously the act of eating human flesh from a dead body is going to make people question themselves even if they HAD to do it to survive. I cannot imagine the guilt they must have felt but I can understand why they felt that way even if they did absolutely nothing wrong.
72 days ago, was the 50th anniversary of this crash. Today is the 50th anniversary of their rescue. 15 of the 16 survivors are still alive today. God bless them.
"Leave on time, or - cannibalism." (people with ADHD all look at one another anxiously)
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Hahahahahhah!
lmfaoooo thank you. Glad I wasn’t the only one.
Hahaha so true
I have ADHD. I always leave early, but to where I am going late. Look, things happen okay! It is the journey, not the destination.
"Used elbow skin and fat to make socks so they dont frostbite.
Me: *Takes notes on how to survive. Just incase* "Oh thats smart"
Lol that was me in the moby dick episode
"what probably saved them was that they ate the bone marrow which had the fat they needed to survive"
Me: "oh yeah that's smart"
See, when I learn these facts and share them with people, 70% of them look at me like ".....okay, so you're the serial killer in our group..."
I appreciate the effort caitlin puts in to pronouncing everyone's names correctly.
Yeah, but "No-goo-eh-rah" threw me off, xD Is pronnounced more like "No-Gay-Rah" But that one is hard to say for non natives, and yeah, Caitlin tries, most gringos don't even bother.
Thats what I said too. I bet she might have spent some time in a Spanish speaking country, you thunk? I asked her...hope she replies.
A contemporary queen
@@mastermike4716 she lives in los angeles which has a huge latino community
@@mastermike4716 in another video she said she had grown up in a town in...I think the Phillipines
I think it helps the 'tone' of this story, which is hopeful, that none of the survivors where forced to kill (that I know of) anyone they ate, as the dead ones had already died from either the plane crash or the avalanche. This definitely makes it a less grim tale in my book.
The survivors also made a vow to each other that if they died, the others had permission to eat their bodies to survive.
The classic example of, “Until you’ve been there, you have no right to judge...”
They did what they had to do to survive. May God bless them.
If God existed and gave a 💩, they never would have been in these circumstances to begin with.
@@ailleananaithnid2566 If you're not religious or dont even believe any.Stop disrespecting.If you just watched the movie inspired by this tragic incident i could tell you prayer was one of their weapons to survive.
@@ailleananaithnid2566 I liked your comment
Amen
My family's discussed this, and I've told them: eat me. Consider it my last act of love because I want you to live.
The part about a steel pipe being pulled out of his stomach triggered my fight or flight response because of all the times I've heard "never pull out the things you got stabbed with" at school
You really go to a kickass school
Yup, my first aider response would've been to leave it in there, but I dunno if he'd have stood any chance with it left in in those conditions, I imagine frostbite could have been a real danger, from the metal... Plus they couldn't have kept it clean with it in there, or applied pressure to prevent blood loss, etc.
That's the trouble with only 4 days of first aid training, my knowledge would be useless in those conditions, I just know how to (hopefully!) keep someone alive until the ambulance arrives!
I lost track of if that guy made it..?
for future reference: that is only when you have the posibility to go to a hospital and not when you are strandend in the middle of nowhere
Damn - in another comment thread is confirmed that he died in the avalanche, prior to that he had been recovering as well! 😔
I pulled out a pair of hair scissors out of my butt cheek earlier this week.
Obviously I survived needed 4 stitches for that wound though.
Landis' tribute to himself was a masterpiece.
Truly! He will be missed :(
The fact that he froze during the toast had me laughing so hard I had an asthma attack 🤣🤣🤣 That couldn’t have gone better (or... worse! Lol!)
It was great!
And the little Bentham’s head at the end had me crying! How bittersweet! 😭
Gonna miss you dude! Epic send off.
The "loss of innocence" reminds me of something that happened when I was younger. My little sister had rats and one of them had died. The other rat consumed it and when my sister went to the cage that day and let out a scream which woke the entire street she discovered a partly eaten rat which only the day before was known as "Ronnie" to my sister. Reggie the other rat had a long life afterwards and ended up being buried next to his brother in the back garden.
This reminds me of a story Adam Savage (MythBusters) told about some mice they'd gotten for. The cardboard box is more nutritious then the sugar cereal myth.
They fed one lot mouse food, another sugary cereal & the third cardboard. They left for the weekend after giving the mice plenty of their assigned food & water to see them through till Monday.
When they came back on Monday they found that of the three cardboard mice only one was still alive. & the other two were dead & had been stripped down to the bone by the living one. Needless to say that part of the myth never made it to air.
You can find the entire video of Adam telling the story (which is *WAY* more detailed) on TH-cam just search for Adam Savage cannibal mice. 💀🐁
I had two rats. One of them ripped the face off the other and had scattered its insides about the cage. The body was removed and quickly buried but the other rat went on to live another month before it died getting hung in the toy inside the cage during the night. It was a murder Suicide rat edition.
@@manofmagic1803 HOLY SHIT are you ok?/gen
Omg, this happened to my sister and me with our pet mice!
Ugh. This reminded me of the time I (at 19 years old) inherited a gerbil pair from a friend who was moving. I'd had gerbils or hamsters a few times as a kid, so I was reasonably excited to have gerbils as pets again. The girl who gave them to me said she'd had them for nearly 2 years.
After about a year of living happily in my living room, I awoke one morning & eventually sat down in the living room to enjoy my fresh cup of coffee. As I sipped, I kept hearing a strange noise, almost like a crackling sound perhaps. I finally tracked the noise down to the area near the gerbil enclosure & was *HORRIFIED* to see one gerbil *eating the throat of the other* and I didn't know WHAT to do.
I eventually got my wits about me, managed to remove the expired gerbil & my fiancé & I gave it a burial in the yard (he made it a nice little coffin for it's final journey). Cleaned out the cage, etc etc.
However, I just couldn't look at the surviving gerbil the same way. I couldn't shake the vision (& sound) of him munching his way through his long-time bunkmate's throat, and eventually released him in a little park up the street.
Many years later (because this happened at a time WELL before everyone had a computer in the home, & the internet, if you could even afford it, was mostly accessed by dialing up via AOL, CompuServe, and other such ISPs, with the slowest rates you can possibly imagine - even 56k modems were a new-fangled thing)...wait, where was I? Oh, right; anyway, I eventually learned this behavior was not uncommon & the fact that they were likely over 3 years old means there was a decent chance he died of natural causes & the survivor was just instinctually trying to remove his bunkmate so as not to "invite predators" via his eventual decay. But try as I might, I couldn't stop anthropomorphizing him as a vicious cannibal.
if you couldn't tell, the whole kinda traumatized me (even more so than the time my hamster had babies & proceeded to eat all 5 of them, *NOT* just the runt of the litter, and then she died too. 😭) , and I still feel bad about every aspect of the situation to this day.
Roberto Canessa was my cousin's doctor when he was little, many years ago, he saved his life. Thanks for telling the story with respect, they deserve it. In uruguay, they are an example of perseverance.
I get chills thinking of the people Dr Canessa saved because he was able to survive. Thanks for sharing
Thinking about it the people that they ate have saved so many lives and not just the survivors, I bet most of those people if not all of them would be very happy that they just didn't die in such a tragic, pointless way.
I am from Uruguay and we always say we have "garra" meaning grit, perseverance, endurance... and we are very proud of those survivors and the many stories about them, like Carlos Paez Vilaro (the father of Carlitos) who never stopped looking for his son, he was one the few who never accepted the idea of the kids being dead. He went around those mountains in jeeps and horses looking for them, and I think I remember that when the kids were found he was one of the last ones to learn because he was up in the mountains looking for them. The human being is capable of amazing and brave things. Thank you for addressing this difficult topic in such a respectful, non-judgmental way!
how’s living in Uruguay 🇺🇾
Carlos sounds like a good dude. And great dad.
@@bridgidigital his example taught me that we should never stop believing in those who we love and fighting for them. Giving ourselves to them. :)
@@justinhamilton8647 expensive, but great, people go out of their way to help others and the food is amazing. Huge European heritage from Spain, Italy, Switzerland, etc. Beautiful beaches. Check out videos about Punta del Este
Well, dear fellow Uruguayan .... I don't think there's anything exceptional about "la garra charrúa".....I prefer to keep nationalism aside, it never helps. Anyway, it's remarkable how the Uruguayan society could take this people in without being extremely judgmental. Maybe the fact Uruguay isn't as religious as other Latin American countries helped, maybe the fact this boys came from well-to do families helped. One of the survivors sister was my English teacher (I prefer not to say her name) and when she told us her story after knowing her for a long time, I realized how difficult was for the families and how resources help to cope with tragedy.
A real fun thing is that Canessa has been working along with my mom on developing some ventilators for the whole covid thing since the pandemic started. He’s a very funny and cool guy, and honestly I kinda wanna cry about the fact that Caitlin is doing a video on this.
Wow!
I am so happy to know that he and your mother are helping those in such despair and need.
Thank you for sharing that.
That's amazing!
Yeah, Canessa did really really well for himself after the accident. Became a pediatric cardiologist... lots of cool stuff.
What are they developing? A new kind of vent? Sounds a lil vague tbh
@@eskee1 well, it isn’t really a new kind of vent, they worked along with some engineers to test out ventilators made out of different and more economic materials and also made here in uruguay cause most of the ones we have are brought in from europe or the us and are rather expensive and need maintenance teams to come in from the respective country of origin for maintenance. So essentially the idea was to make some more accessible vents for the population here
For a story about cannibalism, this is weirdly wholesome. They respected their dead and helped each other as much as they could. The Whale Essex (I haven’t watched the other one) felt barbaric, this one feels like humans who were forced to do whatever they can to survive. If I was in this situation and with people like them (which, I hope never happens) I’d want them, ask them even, to consume my body. Not that my choice would matter, but still.
I stuck around, because I had faith that there would be a Bentham's Head at the end. I was not disappointed. xD
"I'm freeeeeeeeeeeee"
I always wait for a Bentham's head, I hope his newfound freedom doesn't mean we will never see him again lol
Ha I do too!!
Aw... no spoiler warning? I should have waited before reading comments...
Benthams head is (well was) displayed at my university! There’s a uni legend that Kings College students (a rival nearby university) broke in and played football with his head lol
Does anyone else just *love* our macabre mortician’s ability to pronounce words in other languages properly without missing a beat? No pause or hesitation - just proper pronunciation. It’s really jarring to me, but only because it’s a skill most normal people don’t have. It’s what people *should* sound like if they know about what they’re saying. I love it.
Truly a literate and intelligent Queen. We don’t deserve her.
It’s because she’s a Californian. They have exceptional ability with Spanish, even when they’re not.
@@PollyGammy She's actually from Hawaii, which she pronounces correctly. AND she has a history with Japanese (Because she's from Hawaii) - One of her friends is Mexican though, so she probly learned some from her long before needing to work on this video.
@@seaborgium919 she lives in California, tho. Clearly has for a while
@@PollyGammy It could also be because she uses a script and actually cares about other people's languages
@@arizonagreenbee And she did re-takes if she didn't get it right. We see a few outtakes, but I'm sure there are hours of stuff that just gets tossed out and re-done. That's what makes the finished product so good.
I learned something today: Caitlin's limit is wearing the dead, haha.
They couldn't make socks out of clothing? There wasn't any extra clothing laying around from all those dead people?
@@scott2296 Leather is a bit more waterproof than cotton. If they were looking to go on an expedition, keeping the cold wet snow off of their extremities was probably a known concern and tried to forestall it however they could.
@@scott2296 clothes dont do much against the wet snow
@@vshcvsh98 Well ok you guys, I get what you're saying. To bad they didn't have a couple of rugby balls, those would work nicely.
Also bodies in ships that are under the water
“Mama, can we go home?” Is the most heart wrenching thing I’ve ever heard.
Being Chilean, I’ve heard and read this story many, many times, but I feel that the way you narrate this makes it very interesting and helps see how many layers this tragedy has
As an argentinian, I have to agree with you.
And I love that she sheds light into latino stories, she's great
Pues soy mexicano y fui a Chile en 2019, visité Portillo y afortunadamente estaba muy nevado. Hermoso pero no me podía imaginar gente sobreviviendo sin recursos en un lugar así, mucho menos de noche. Bello país espero volver pronto
I had NO idea about the "socks"! OMG she really gave us details I'd never heard before!
She is really a great narrator. Voice, tone, pacing. The feeling of investment. Her research. Yes. It's really great listening to all her stories.
I appreciate how they reasoned through cannibalism, and the comparison with communion convinced them.
I'm not Christian, but I feel that would have convinced me too. That the necessary cannibalism was holy, in a way, not evil.
I would've thought that that people who believe in transubstantiation, especially, would be less likely to get offended by Cannibalism For A Good Cause. The comparison doesn't seem that far-fetched.
Same!
But was it really necessary for them to have put the honey barbeque sauce on the human remains before consumption? It's a grey area. @@jam-the-hologram
@@Alex-Defatteits extra calories, and makes a difficult meal go down easier.
When you’re a pessimist, you’re either right or pleasantly surprised
Damn right!
but it's not okay to be a pessimist all the time.
it's been working out great for me with the rona. people keep saying "who would have thought it would be this long?". me, I did. I thought two years minimum starting from the march 2020 lockdowns. was pleasantly surprised by the fast vaccine development, and only mildly disappointed by the slow production (I don't live in americafirstland). and now I am entirely prepared for repeated lockdowns being here to stay despite the vaccines until at the very least 2022 when more countries will hopefully adopt a covid management that tolerates no level of transmission and tries to aim for 0 infections, not to anywhere below full hospitals - because before the end of the year, there will be covid variants evolved to evade vaccines around the globe. honestly I don't get why so many people constantly think that the end of the crisis is like one month away.
But then there’s the constant anxiety and inability to do things that you’re convinced are doomed to fail. Then it can be a bit paralyzing. The guys who made the tough decisions were more pragmatic than pessimistic. I think pessimism would have just been assuming there was no chance that anyone would survive and giving up. It’s better to hope for the best and plan for the worst than to be a total optimist or a total pessimist.
PESSIMISM! a mindset that will seldom disappoint you!
I ran away as a teenager during the 90s and my parents had thought the worst after being missing for months so when I was found and did finally return home they had taken all my stuff out of the house because they didn’t wanna look at it every day they said it made them sad, I can relate to that aspect of “coming back from the dead”
I can’t imagine how sad they must have been. Hopefully everything is okay now
All of them might have died the night of the avalanche. The one thing that saved those who ultimately survived the avalanche was, by luck, Roy Harley not only woke up due to the rumbling, but made the spontaneous choice to jump to his feet. As the snow rushed in, everyone else was lying on the bottom of the fuselage and got buried by several feet of snow and other survivor's bodies. Roy was standing and the snow came up to his chest. He was immediately able to spring into action digging out his fellow survivors. Had he remained lying down like the rest, it's likely it would have been killed them all. The two in the suspended hammocks weren't buried, but they were physically unable to move from their hammocks to help dig.
Mate, you look like a sage about this, if you know Spanish check the video "Los secretos de la Tragedia de Los Andes | EN EL CAMINO" from the channel Todo Noticias, uploaded some days ago.
PARANOIA 👏 FOR 👏 THE 👏WIN👏
There was another who was able to react fast enough to raise his arms before being buried, with his hands visible above the snow
The other day my mom told me that if I ever have to eat her, I should cook her slow, like mutton. Which was thoughtful, but also kind of terrifying that she said that unprompted.
Interesting addition to this story. The plane in which the rugby team was flying was an Uruguayan Fairchild Hiller 227, which belonged to the Uruguayan Airforce, meaning it was a military plane. And their last stop took place in Mendoza, Argentina; which is important because in Argentinian law, no foreign military plane is allowed to be remain in Argentina for more than 24 hours. And that is why the plane had to leave in the afternoon, when it was riskier.
I mean... 24 hours is a long time, enough time to not fly into your death.
The pilots made an error they were supposed to go through coracle instead they went up into the plancha en Paz and the Fairchild also use the Rolls-Royce engines the dartsand they were under powered by 250 horsepower so they didn't climb very well in thin air
Luis Salazar
Thanks for the explanation! Very interesting.
Am glad to note that in the comments I've seen about the survivors here is that those have acknowledged just how difficult it was for the survivors to consider eating, let alone eating, the bodies of the dead. In the end, I think they did what had to be done to survive, but they didn't enter into that lightly. So, I have tremendous respect for them, and for the memories of the dead, too.
Thank you Landis for all your editing!
I adored the tribute at the end!!! Much love for all the wonderful work! ❤️
I totally agree! It was a great goodbye
"I'm freeeee!"
Thank you Landis, it was awesome
I didn’t know him but now I’ll miss him. He had a singular sense of humor
“Leave on time or cannibalism” made me accidentally bit my tongue while eating dinner, a salad
Aight body, self cannibalism it is
AIGHT SELF CANNIBALISIM 🤡
@@julespoopoology uhhh rule 34?
There's a short story from Stephen King that literally covers that very idea. I can't remember it's title. You should definitely read it though. I think you'd like it. LOL...since you've already started by eating your tongue (joking of course). Have a good week and weekend!
I like that for all the flack they got afterwards, most of the families were like "nah that's cool"
I wonder what would have happened in the long run if they didn't turn to cannibalism and just all died in the snow. The plane was in the middle of nowhere, would it ever have been found at all? It's probably better to know "yeah, your relative died and we ate them to survive" than just nothing about what happened.
Honestly if my corpse is your only food source... not like I'm using it anymore...
And I know damn well my family would know I'd be okay with it. We're pretty irreverent.
One of my dad's best friends spread some of his ashes in the gulf and gently told me that he always said he wanted to be buried at sea. I was like "yeah but he probably said something like 'just roll me overboard'" and she laughed with only a little cry.
As Numa said, may he rest in peace "There is no greater love than that which gives one's life for one's friends." It is not cannibalism, it is anthropophagy, cannibalism is killing someone to eat them.
Wait ... Enrique Platero, the guy who basically had a hole in his stomach, lived for a couple more weeks with his intestines and stomach lining hanging out and died because of the avalanche 😳? Omg ....
Yes. Pretty sad. His wound was actually healing well and probably would have survived if not for that avalanche.
Humans don't die easily. We're tough mothercluckers lol
@Uh Oh Stinky True. And I think it's important to remember that these young men were essentially at the peak of human fitness. The only healthier they could have been would be if they were fit women, that's only because women at the same age have stronger immune systems because their bodies have to be prepared to grow more humans.
petty ass bullshit avalanche
If anyone ever comes into a situation like this with me: EAT MY FUCKING FLESH! It's true what the survivors said. Your body is just a flesh cage for your soul. After you die it is basically a soulless shell (filled with protein) Very informative video as always loved it!
I’d let my cat 🐈 eat me
@@Booze129 and they'd gladly do so lol with no remorse, starting with the eyeballs, naturally
@@Ali_D_Katt Eyeballs do have the most delicious juices, so I'm told
Don't forget to ration the liver and eat some of the bone.
The muscles meat will give you calories and protein. But if you are planning on staying mobile you'll also have to eat the offal for vitamins and scraped down bone for Calcium.
Just gonna pop by for a safety tip... By all means, I share the sentiment... Just avoid eating any brains and probably the spinal territory... That's where prion issues get started (most notoriously, anyway)... I'm all for doing what you gotta do in this type of situation, but there are some kinds of deaths I'd rather not die... if you understand my meaning. ;o)
I love how you took the effort to pronounce their names correctly with the Spanish accent. This story is freaking incredible and nuts from beginning to end!
Caitlin speaks fluent Spanish
She made them sound Italian though XD but she had a good intention
@@CashelOConnolly I had a feeling she did. My husband watched this video with me and really enjoyed it. We have another deathling. Lol
I agree she's very good about the details. I'm blown away by the quality of Caitlin's videos.
@@stuartd9741 I’ve followed her since she started on TH-cam I knew of her books. Her videos are fantastic and she’s a truly remarkable woman ❤️💀🖤
The book retelling "Miracle in the Andes" is honestly incredible. I read it when I was in 7th grade and it changed my outlook on life. I totally understand what you mean by uplifting. It's very much a story about how death oddly introduces a new lust for life. So interesting.
I read Alive in grade 7. It remains the most inspirational book I’ve read.
Everything but a miracle tbh.
@@thecynic9232 I once had a copy too...thinking of buying a new one
Alive is my go to book for when I’m feeling down and out.
I recommend you read 'Society of the Snow', written more than 30 years after the accident, by a close friend of theirs (Pablo Vierci), one of the people who were invited to the flight - he didn't accept the invitation because he had to study for an exam.
The survivors say the book 'Alive' tells the facts, and 'Society of the Snow' describes the feelings. The new film 'Society of the Snow' is based on this book, and unlike the film 'Alive' (an awful adaptation), has the approval of the survivors and the families of the deceased.
The ending where everyone offered forgiveness and understanding got me teary eyed. Your storytelling is always on point, but here, you're going extra hard.
It's really heartening that people reacted that way. I can't help but wonder how it would go if it happened now. Or if it happened in the US. Humanity can be ugly sometimes but stories like this are a nice reminder that sometimes people will surprise you.
Same. Messed up my make up on the way to work😢
I've made it clear I can be eaten if necessary. This specific tragedy really made me think. Wasn't a conversation I ever thought would be necessary untill I watched a documentary on this. It's led to me telling my kids I'd haunt them if they didn't eat me to survive😂
Caitlin... did you eat Landis? no judgements, of course.
If you're going to eat someone and had the choice, I wouldn't choose Landis. Although tall, he's quite thin and wouldn't provide much meat.
Sorry, Landis. I swear we aren't planning on eating you.
There's a reason we fatten calves!
@@janisi9262 Soup. You can always make soup, regardless of how bony and thin someone is.
@@janisi9262 we couldn't eat him anyways if Caitlin already did.
Sad noises as the ketchup and mustard gets put away
Caitlin’s team: Cannibalism again?
Caitlin: WE’RE DOIN’ THIS
I'm just waiting for when the 4th installment comes out - in SPACE!
Caitlin: “I’m giving the people what they want, I am people” 😂
The current Neflix adaptation "Society in the snow " is a great adaption of this
The woman wailing and crying with the broken legs, trapped under the seats, has straight up haunted me for decades now! I don't remember much from the movie, but I remember that scene! RIP to the lost, and peace to the survivors.
YES YES YES that scene has always stuck out to me too
same. I think it's because from the way she described it it seems like the oher survivors didn't even try helping her too much. I mean, we can't blame them they were in crisis, but imagine being there for hours and hours knowing people are near but they are just hearing you die slowly and in agony. And that you will die and there is no escaping it.
Saaaaame. I was obsessed with this movie when I was a child, but that woman has always stuck with me. Literally always.
I remember the scene from the movie of them cutting the flesh and muscle ( muscle) with the sliver of glass! So vividly !
same
All comedic commentary aside, this story is so horrifying and sad. I can’t even imagine having to choose to die of starvation or resort to cannibalism. 😓
And they were your family that you saw dying that you were now feeding on. It's hardcore to say the least.
@@trinidad17 i mean, if i died in a plane crash and my family survived, i know i'd want them to eat me if it meant they could one day come back home.
Nando was really close to his sister especially and his mother too. As far as I know, he didn't eat them, but when Canessa, Tintin and him took off in their final attempt to get help, he turned around to the others and told them to do so if they had to
I'm usually okay with stories like this but this one just makes me so unbearably sad. My mom used to say it's not what kills you it's what you life through that is horrible, and I think this is a great example of that
When I read Alive what haunted me the most was that first night that came almost immediately after the crash, ignoring the surroundings, cold and with the whimper and whining of the severely hurt. You grow up knowing the story, joking about cannibalism but didn't get the dimension of it until you ponder that, the nights.
This analysis was spot-on, the best of the Cannibalism Saga.
I had the honor of actually meeting Gustavo Zerbino face to face years ago, and it's interesting to hear most of this from the mouth of one of the survivors. He told us that in a paradoxical way, hearing that the search was called off on day 10 of the crash not only did not dishearten them as much as one would expect, but actually steeled their resolve that the time had come to switch from a passive to an active role. One of the survivors, I can't remember which, actually said that this was good news, since now they wouldn't have to waste false hope and could actually focus on surviving.
That makes sense. After all, why would you put yourself through the emotional torment of cannibalism if you thought you only needed to hang out for another few hours?
@@TechnologyFML Not just the cannibalism, but everything in general. In Nando Parrado's "Milagro en los Andes" he writes that when they heard that the search was called off one of the survivors who had listened to the radio said "Good news, they called off the search". When another of the survivors asked how the hell that's good news, the response was "Because now we know we'll have to rescue ourselves". It's basically the only reason Parrado and Canessa were able to endure the 10-day trek down the mountains
It's not really paradoxical. When I found out at 14 I wasn't supposed to survive an illness, I decided to prove them wrong.
@@Author.Noelle.Alexandria
In the context of the situation they were in it may be construed as paradoxical..
This does make alot of sense John.
When the plane crashed there is always hope.
_Yeah they know we've not arrived at our destination so they'll come rescue us_
It's at this point where survivors would be less inclined to search for help.
Knowing via the radio.
_We're on our own_
Is clearly a character defining moment..
....
Interesting to surmise if they had not got the radio working and subsequently *not* received that message would they have continued on to the path of canablism......?
I heard one of the survivors (Cannesa) tell the story at a convention. Not going into the actual details of catabolism, he did say that if any of his team mates needed an organ transplant, anyone would have volunteered. He likened eating the dead muscles as using a transplant organ. Interesting way to look at it.
I had a college professor who had a poster "Rugby Players eat their dead". He was a ex rugby player.
I'd hang that poster on my wall & show it with pride to all visitors lol!
I have to agree with the guy who said that the moral thing to do was live. I truly believe that in situations like that, the best way to honor the dead is to survive.
If you can live, you can tell their families what happened instead of leaving it up to guesswork that might never happen if they aren't found.
I agree it may be more cowardly to die. But I would rather. I think.
@@lisareed5669 It's easy to say while warm and with a full belly. I imagine it's much more difficult when the stakes are real.
@@adion24 *steaks
(Sorry I had to)
@Hadbabits Ohhhhh that's a groaner and I'm proud of you.
im dying at "enjoying all the amenities TAIL has to offer"
Read this as she was saying it
@@hypotheticaltapeworm hair flip and all
not many of us know true hunger, I'm glad these men were offered comfort upon return
I'm a Uruguayan and very familiar with the story. These men were heroes and are considered heroes in Uruguay. They were smart, educated( actually from the most prestigious university in the country), and Christian. They were respectful to the dead and saved eachother from death.
I had a chance to visit the actual plane used to make the movie, it's in the outskirts of Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay.
Very moving even if it was just s movie prop.
The whole country understood what they had to do to survived and there are no hard feelings with families of the dead.
Yes. They understood the true meaning of being a Christian. Forgiveness 🙏🏾
Hola compatriota!
The book Alive mentions that after the rescue, it was learned that a few miles away from the plane crash site was a cabin, not occupied at that time, but stocked with plenty of canned food.
that seems like an unintentional kick in the teeth lol
Oh damn
that would have singlehandedly made me an atheist if I was catholic holy shit
It was an abandoned Summer Resort. I have serious doubts about there being food there. But it may have provided shelter.
@@Laurennn It would have been impossible to get everyone to the resort.
A vivid memory of my dear, now deceased, father. I was 7/8 years old. He showed me and my little brother the picture shown at 33:40. He asked us if we saw anything wrong with this picture. Being in the age ranges of 5-8, we said no. He zoomed in. "That's a human spine." We were very confused. "They were in a plane crash and had to eat people to survive." Cool, thanks dad. Miss you always. I never wondered where my fascination with death came from.
You didn't know it then, but your dad was showing you what people do to survive, because he was worried that if you kids ever got into a situation like this, he would want you to survive.
holy shit, they had ribs.. probably one of the better parts?!?!?
around the same age my dad showed me the horse head scene from The godfather. dads.
@@victorias.2995 OMG SAME
@@skunk69x29 well my dad could make some good bbq🥴
They were the bravest people I have ever heard of; they did this for unselfish reasons so that they could get back to their families. Also, what determination it took to travel over that terrain for help and succeeding.
Nandi’s book is called, “Miracle in the Andes”. It’s a great read because it was written 20-25 years after the crash and is very personal. It also gives updates on the survivors and how they adjusted. Fascinating.
I have read the book written by Piers Paul Reid. It’s a great account of what happened from different points of view.
"...in that moment, I stopped running from death. Instead I made every step a step towards love, and that saved me." not me crying at 5 am
Oddly enough, reading Small Gods by Terry Pratchett at the moment. This passage springs to mind:
"An hour later the lion, who was limping after Brutha, also arrived at the grave. It had lived in the desert for sixteen years, and the reason it had lived so long was that it had not died, and it had not died because it never wasted handy protein. It dug. Humans have always wasted handy protein ever since they started wondering who had lived in it. But, on the whole, there are worse places to be buried than inside a lion."
I loved Terry Pratchett! Great quote 👍
Small gods is one of my alltime favourite books ♥️
"who had lived in it" I think that line has changed me forever. I knew about 'meat suits' but this is even better
I watched the newer movie based on this that came out on Netflix. It was both horrific and inspiring. They beat the odds over and over again. I love the quote from Nando that (basically, and not verbatim) said, " .. i made every step after toward love, and that saved me. " ❤❤❤ i love that.