The Snow Society, by Juan Antonio Bayona, turns a tragic event of the 20th century into an epic of survival. The film, based on the book of the same name by Pablo Vierci, details what happened with flight 571 of the Uruguayan Air Force. On October 13, 1972, the plane, with 45 passengers on board, fell in the Andes mountain range and only 29 of those traveling managed to survive. Two months later and after facing isolation in the midst of an atrocious climate and resorting to cannibalism to survive, barely 16 people were left alive. The majority witnessed how their family and friends died in the midst of the rigors of the climate and due to injuries from the accident.
The Snow Society details what happened step by step. But, it barely outlines what happened once the group was rescued from the mountains. By the end of the tape, it is shown how Fernando Parrado (Agustín Pardella) and Roberto Canessa (Matías Recalt) managed to cross the mountain range to the San José River. This would take them to Los Maitenes (Chile), an area where after ten days of walking, they would run into the muleteer Sergio Catalán. Only then would the latter notify the authorities to rescue the injured who were still on the plane.
The feature film closes its story with an image of the group and the memory of those who died both in the accident and in the weeks that followed. However, it does not indicate what happened to the rest. We bring you a summary of what the so-called survivors of the Andes now do, in addition to their contributions to the dissemination of the story they tell. The Snow Society. At the same time, the way in which they managed to withstand the siege of the press and public questioning about the hard decisions they had to make to stay alive.
The critical hours after the rescue
Between December 22 and 23, 1972, the last 16 passengers, of the original 45, were rescued from the inhospitable place where they were. They were immediately taken to Santiago de Chile, because most of them suffered serious injuries, fractures, dehydration, scurvy, and a serious case of malnutrition. According to reports at the time, they had all lost about 40 kilos in weight and could barely walk. Which made the authorities fear that the evacuation could harm the majority and even cause the death of some.
But the most worrying thing happened the following days, when in full recovery, the group had to face pressure from the media. From a sudden recognition for what was initially called a miracle, to scrutiny and censure for the versions about the ingestion of human flesh. The truth is that the group quickly went from being admired and loved to being in the middle of a loud debate about the legality of their decisions. On December 26 and probably due to a leak from the rescuersa photograph of a dismembered human leg, appeared in Chilean newspapers The Mercury and Third. Direct accusations of anthropophagy were added to the images.
To silence the rumors, the survivors gave a Press conference at the Stella Maris School in Montevideo on December 28. During the occasion, they spoke directly about what happened and explained the pact they had among all, to eat the remains only as a last resort. At first, the public reaction was negative, but as time went by and as the survivors told their version, The tragic event was understood in a better way.
What are the survivors doing today?
With the exception of two of them, the entire group of those rescued in the Andes is still alive. Each of them has led a normal life, although the majority told their version of what happened through books, articles and talks.
Javier Methol, who lost his wife during the accident, dedicated all his efforts to raising the Viven Foundation. At first, it was only an initiative to channel everything related to the dissemination of the history that sees him in The Snow Society. However, later it grew and became an institution of historical heritage and preservation of the memory of the deceased.. Methol died in 2015, aged 79.
Roberto Canessa, one of the two volunteers who traveled through the Andes to find help, resumed his plans to become a doctor. He finished medical school and became a respected children’s cardiologist. For his part, Fernando ‘Nando’ Parrado, dedicated himself, during the end of the seventies and the beginning of the next, to the world of motorsports. Later, he devoted himself to a brief career in media and international speaking engagements. Most of them, designed to highlight the will to live and the strength of will in complicated situations.
Pain and trauma in survivors
On the contrary, Carlos Páez suffered problems due to the remaining trauma and went through a long process of addiction to various substances. In the end, he was able to free himself from them. To finally delve into his terrors and pains, he wrote the books After day 10 (date on which the group learned they had given up their search) and The mountain range of the soul.
Gustavo Zerbino is a businessman and occasional speaker about what happened in the mountains. Antonio Vizintinis dedicated to the development of real estate investment projects. Eduardo Strauch He is an architect and plastic artist. In 2019, he wrote the book From the silence. José Luis Inciarte became a successful agricultural engineer; Ramon Sabella vive out of the public eye and is in charge of several successful companies. Álvaro Mangino is a member of the board of the Old Christians Rugby team, to which he dedicates himself full time.
On the other hand, José Luis Inciarte had a prominent role in the agricultural life of Uruguay. He died on Thursday, July 27, 2023 at the age of 75, after a long bout of cancer. Roy Harley is an engineer in the paint industry. Roberto Francois moved away from the public spotlight. Now, he is a technician and agricultural producer.
Daniel Fernández is dedicated to the computer world. Alfredo Delgado completed his law studies, but like Francois, he has avoided contact with the press since then. Finally, Pedro Algorta returned to his intention of graduating in Economics from the University of Buenos Aires. Currently, he is dedicated to providing motivational conferences.