These are days of roller-coaster emotions in Israel in which it seems that the entire country is immersed in a weekly ordeal that tears at our hearts, floods our eyes with tears of joy and plays on our nerves . As the Israeli hostages are being released a few at a time on a weekly basis, we cannot but feel the ecstatic relief of getting them back to their anguished families, and yet, we are overflowing with compassion, pity, guilt and anger at seeing "Holocaust-concentration like men" emerge from the tunnels of Hamas. Our worries, hearts and sadness go out for those still held in captivity. We need them back, we need them to survive.
With all our eyes, ears and souls focusing on and praying for our brothers in sisters, I found myself immersed in a documentary film on Netflix from a different part of the world, hich does not have anything to do with our situation here but shares the common theme " humnan survival against all odds" in its deepest sense. Society of the Snow is a story that has been told and described many times in the past-it ignites a profound dive into some extreme existential questions of life, its meaning, and the struggle to uphold values which can and need to be challenged and adapted in facing danger of life or death.
Tragedy in the remote Andes mountains
On October 13, 1972, Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, chartered by an Uruguayan rugby football team (the Old Christians Club) and their supporters, to take them to a game in Santiago, Chile, crashed into a glacier in the heart of the Andes mountains. Of the 45 passengers on board, 29 survived the initial crash, although more would die from injury, disease, and an avalanche over the following weeks. Most of the passengers were aged 18-19, from well-off families and had known each other for years in their hometown in Uruguay. Trapped in one of the most inaccessible and hostile environments on the planet, in freezing temperatures with no idea where they were, starving to death, with no means of communication or resources, the survivors are forced to resort to cannibalism of those who had already died in order to stay alive. In the end, 16 passengers endured 72 days in extreme conditions before being rescued.
View of the Crash Memorial
Earlier accounts of the story stressed the cannibalistic act, as it obviously goes against society's mores, and it lends the "shock effect" for us all. But a deeper more complex understanding of the story, as voiced by some survivors in recent years, points to a whole other plane of struggle, about human nature, resilience, and the search for meaning in the face of unimaginable hardship, at the core of our existential human journeys. In a 2024 interview in Spanish, Carlos ‘Carlitos’ Páez Rodriguez, a survivor of the crash, today aged 71, gave a candid and reflective interview telling the story of the ordeal, the extreme cold, avalanches and starvation, but also the story of the "human dimension" and the resilience of the human spirit throughout. His story illuminates the deeper story that is often lost in market-driven Hollywood films. Carlos reflects on how unprepared he was for anything resembling what they had to go through:
"I was an 18-year-old boy, the son of a famous painter who gave us everything. I still had a nanny – she packed my suitcase for the trip. I had never been cold. I had never been hungry. I had never done anything useful. And I lived the most incredible survival story of all time.” The film and the real-life accounts highlight how the trip was supposed to be an exciting adventure, as they were traveling from Uruguay to Chile for a rugby match. This added to the terror, horror and fear they experienced when the plane crashed in the Andes. Many of them had never been on an airplane before, nor did they ever experience snow. It goes without saying that they also had never seen a dead person. After the crash and the subsequent night only 27 of the 45 passengers were alive, all 5 crew members including the pilot where dead.
The initial shock and trauma leads to team-work and leadership
Carlos describes how the traumatic event almost immediately triggered a response to seek leadership and organization. Among the rugby team there were serveral first/second year medical students- they became "the doctors" somehow trying to "care for" the wounded and separating out the dead bodies. One friend was in his first year of engineering- he became "the engineer", removing the seats from the wreckage so that it would become a "shelter" and later being responsible for all things from creating an antennae for a small transistor radio as well as attempting to connect cables of the remaining electrical parts of the airplane engine which they later located,to improve chances of communication.
Another person, known as "the inventor", came up with an ingenious way to walk over snow using the seat cushions, as well as making use of the mica material from the pilot's dashboard to create anti-glare sunglasses in the snow. He also found a way to use metal to create a "mirror effect" to help melt the snow into water, which was difficult to do at -25 degree C temperatures.
The rugby team were all devout Roman Catholics and thus one of the group members who was studying theology became the facilitator of discussions about God, faith, life, death and fate- all which were very much on everybody's mind, especially with the cannibalism challenge before them. Several survivors prayed together, clinging to their faith as a source of hope and strength. Some questioned why God allowed them to survive while the others perished, struggling with questions of randomness of fate. As days stretched into weeks, some survivors found spiritual meaning in their suffering, reflecting on life, death, and purpose.
Everyone had a task, Carols explains in his interview, and this gave "task" gave them meaning to push on. Carlos, being the youngest, felt a bit useless until he was given the job of insulating the plane to make the shelter less open to the cold. This organization of resources and management is truly remarkable in such chaos of life and death proportions.
The radio: hope and despair
Amazingly, the group did manage to get a transistor radio they found to pick up the news broadcasts which talked about the search for their plane and survivors. And yet this same technology (radio) which gave them hope also caused them to lose hope! On the eleventh day after the crash, they heard a broadcast announcing that the official search had been called off, a revelation that deeply impacted their morale. The emotional toll of hearing news about the halted search efforts was devastating, and the survivors had to grapple with the reality of their situation, balancing hope and despair as they planned their next steps.
In the language of logotherapy, "life was asking them to take responsibility" in a near-hopeless situation.
Starvation and canibalism
The survivors initially survived on minimal rations—small amounts of wine, chocolate, and other food from the wreckage. They hoped for a quick rescue. After several days, they faced starvation. The harsh reality set in that no external help was coming soon and the pain of starvation was all encompassing. After much moral and religious debate, they decided to consume the flesh of the deceased. Some hesitated, while others saw it as the only way to survive. In the end they all came to this heart-שgain the "doctors" were in charge of managing the process of preparing, allocating, saving and honoring the act which was one which was not taken lightly. On day 17 a massive avalanche buried part of the wreckage, killing eight more survivors and making food even scarcer. Trapped for days, those who lived had no choice but to rely more on human remains for sustenance. From that moment on the issue of cannibalism had lost its impact as the challenge of survival took precdence.
Roberto Canessa was one of the "doctors" in the group, Since surviving the disaster, Canessa has gone on to become a renowned pediatric cardiologist. He told National Geographic the following in 2016: “Cannibalism is when you kill someone, so technically this is what is known as anthropophagy,” l student at the time of the crash, Canessa said that he cared for the injured people and “was also in charge of carting the dead bodies.” , and has spoken about the situation plainly. He told National Geographic:
"We had to eat these dead bodies, and that was it. The flesh had protein and fat, which we needed, like cow meat. I was also used to medical procedures, so it was easier for me to make the first cut. The decision to accept it intellectually is only one step, though. The next step is to actually do it. And that was very tough. Your mouth doesn’t want to open because you feel so miserable and sad about what you have to do. My main issue was that I was invading the privacy of my friends: raping their dignity by invading their bodies. But then I thought, If I were killed, I would feel proud that my body could be used for others to survive. I feel that I shared a piece of my friends not only materially but spiritually, because their will to live was transmitted to us through their flesh. We made a pact that, if we died, we would be happy to put our bodies to the service of the rest of the team."
These young men decided that the greatest morality for them was the right to live and the right to return home. To me, it was the words of Viktor Frankl that the "defiance of the human spirit" was taking a stand, seeing what the "meaning of the moment" was truly about.
Friendship, courage and solidarity
The story of Flight 571 is far more than one of eating human flesh. The narrative emphasizes the strength found in camaraderie, showcasing how deep bonds and mutual support can become vital lifelines in dire circumstances. Carlos speaks of how the survivors became "one", that all previous divisions amongst the group completely disappeared- they were now all one big "survival machine", and what was holding them together was their concern and love for one another and the deep desire to survive. They talked of the birthdays that were coming up for each other, celebrated "while we are still alive", and somehow found the strength to do what was necessary in the moment to survive.
Ultimately one major decision was made that would change the fate of all. After enduring 60 days in the Andes following the crash, the survivors faced the critical decision that someone needed to go out and search for some help. Selecting individuals to embark on such a perilous trek with no clear idea of the way was clearly one more life/death decision, but this time the onus would fall on just a few. This decision was influenced by several factors. The survivors assessed each other's health and stamina. Nando Parrado, despite suffering a severe head injury during the crash, demonstrated remarkable recovery and resilience. Roberto Canessa (the medical student) was also in relatively good health. Both Parrado and Canessa exhibited determination and a strong will to survive, essential traits for the mission and had developed a rapport during their ordeal, fostering trust and effective communication. Along with a third colleague who was in the best physical condition, Antonio "Tintin" Vizintín, the three volunteered for the mission and the survivors collectively agreed on this decision, understanding the risks involved and placing their trust in the chosen trekkers.
Parrado was one of the few who also lost family members in the crash. Parrado had all along protected the bodies of his mother and sister to prevent them from being consumed. In his memoir, Miracle in the Andes, Parrado wrote: "I had to accept the unthinkable—that my own life and the death of my mother and sister were inextricably linked. It was a matter of survival, and I had to confront it."
Carlos recalls that a few minutes after the three left to go up the mountain, Parrado returned, approached Carlos and asked to kiss the rosary of the crucifix around his neck, a gesture of reverence, love, and veneration in the Catholic tradition. Parrado told Carlos: "I will walk till I die, if need be. My mother and sister's bodies remain here for you all to live." As Carlos explained, Parrado was able to make this decision only when he would not longer be there to witness it.
On December 12, 1972, the three set out to find help. They faced extreme conditions, including sub-zero temperatures, high altitudes, and treacherous terrain. After three days of arduous climbing, they reached a peak and assessed their helpless situation: there were only more and more mountain ranges in site. Recognizing the challenges ahead, they decided that Vizintín would return to the crash site to conserve their limited food supplies, leaving Parrado and Canessa to continue the trek. After a total of ten days, covering approximately 33.5 miles, they encountered a Chilean arriero (mule driver), leading to the rescue of the remaining survivors.
Nando Parrado and Roberto Canessa (sitting) with Chilean arriero Sergio Catalán
Roberto Canessa (center), he and Parrado successfully trekked through the wilderness to seek help.
Fernando Parrado, today, a successful retired businessman and entrepreneur
The mind-boggling, trecherous ordeal had come to an end, 16 human beings had miraculously survived 72 days of terrifying circumstances. They were ordinary young people thrown into a situation that no one could have predicted or imagined. They had lived through a type of event that hopefully none of us will ever have to endure. And, yet, all of us will face adversity and crisis in our lives.
Reflecting back and looking forward
While it took some years to happen, several of the survivors went on to make successful careers for themselves, raise families and become motivational speakers, utilizing their extraordinary experiences to convey messages of hope, resilience, and the power of the human spirit in overcoming extreme adversity.
This is the nature of survivors of traumas of this magnitude- emotional overwhlem, survivor's guilt, fear of stigma and being misjudged as well as the fact that it can take years for healing and integration to take place in one's mind and soul. Finally there is the actual change of perspective that aging brings, call it "wisdom of aging" if you will, some things will just be understood differently when you are "in the second half of life". Telling "your story", helping others understand their own capacity for finding meaning, hope and resilience, just may feel much more central as one grows old in one's years.
For me the "deep dive" into this remarkable story brought up the powerful existential truth that our lives really are not to be taken for granted. We will face adversity, and in the words of Nando, "When you face adversity you will learn who you are and what you are made of." Life is unpredictable, we can only embrace each moment fully, recognizing the fleeting nature of life and the importance of appreciating every experience.
And yet, even though our experiences coming in and leaving the world are inherently individual, we are never truly alone in our lives. Even in the most dire circumstances, we have some level of choice, choice that echoes and comprises who were in the world. I think back to the words of Viktor Frankl in Man's Search for Meaning, in which Frankl describes how, despite the extreme suffering, there were prisoners who went out of their way to uplift and support others. He writes:
“We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
In the words of survivor Nando Parado:"We all have our personal Andes." And when we meet "our Andes", may stories like this help us remember that we have choices, we have hope in us and we are built for resilience in our lives. Isn't this what "choosing life" is all about?
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