Some mystics associate the plane crash in the Andes in 1972 with the so-called "damn number" - Friday the 13th. Indeed, since the day of the announcement of the persecution of the Templars (on Friday, October 13, 1307), which imposed a terrible curse on this number, many terrible events have taken place in the world, falling precisely on "Friday the 13th". Including plane crashes. Believe it or not, the plane crash in the Andes happened on Friday, and on October 13th.
Lost in the snow
On December 20, 1972, two overgrown, emaciated men descended from the icy peaks of the Andes into the Chilean valley. When they came across the shepherd's hut, the shepherd was so frightened by the sight of intruders. that he rushed to call the police with all his might. But what was the surprise of the Chilean authorities when they recognized the ragamuffins as the passengers of the plane that disappeared in the mountains. After all, they have been considered dead for more than two months!
The plane of the Uruguayan airline "Tamu", board T-571, took off on October 12, 1972 from Montevideo to Santiago. But soon, due to bad weather, the pilots landed at the airport in the Argentine city of Mendoza. By the morning of October 13, the weather had not improved, and in order to round the dangerous section, the pilots had to make a detour along the mountains. They had already passed the Chilean city of Curico and received permission to land when a strong cyclone appeared on the way. The pilots noticed too late that they were heading straight for the rocks. The tail of the plane hit the mountain and fell off along with the wings. and the rest of the fuselage rolled down the slope until it buried itself in a snowdrift.
Onboard there were 45 people: five crew members and 40 passengers. Among them is the Uruguay student rugby team rushing to the competition in Chile.
12 people died immediately. Having recovered from the shock, the surviving passengers rushed to rake the wreckage of the plane - to save the other survivors. Two medical students tore at the bandages their clothes. they made tires for those with fractures, made hammocks. But, despite desperate efforts, soon six more died from injuries. And now 27 people were alone in the middle of a snowy desert at an altitude of 3600 meters above sea level. No food, no warm clothes, no medicine. The only cover from the 40-degree frost was the surviving part of the fuselage. In order not to freeze at night, they tore off the covers from the seats, using them as blankets, and plugged a hole in the cabin with bags and suitcases. And yet there was still hope that people would not have to hold out in such conditions for long - they would definitely be found.
Indeed, at this moment helicopters circled over the rocks, rescue teams were combing the area. The search for the missing plane was conducted by the relevant services of the three countries. But to no avail: the white fuselage practically merged with the terrain. He was never found. Eight days after the crash, the search was stopped, deciding that there were no survivors from board 571. Lost in the snow, people learned about it 11 days later - they managed to catch the news from a radio receiver found among their luggage. Now it became clear to everyone - they will have to survive on their own! And this had to be done within 72 days.
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Cannibals reluctantly
With the cold and high-altitude pressure, people hardly got used to it. But the main problem remained - hunger. After all, the only food on the crashed plane was a few bars of chocolate, some wine and crackers. The food was divided equally and tried to stretch it out for several days. But soon these supplies, given out in crumbs, ran out. And around - no plants, no animals.
Thirst was quenched by spreading snow on the metal wreckage of the aircraft and melting it in the sun, but such drops could not replace a full drink.
Roberto Ganessa, a medical student, having overcome his disgust and the principles of Catholic education, was the first to take a desperate step. Taking a shard of glass, he dug up the corpse of one of the pilots in the snow and cut off a piece of meat. The rest were horrified by this act. But he explained to them that they must survive at any cost, and that it was not the time to talk about morality. A few days later, hungry people were forced to follow Roberto's example.
“Some people think we wanted to get even with the pilot for the accident,” recalls Nando Parrado. "But it was just easier for us to start with him, because we didn't know him as well as the others." Indeed, almost all passengers were brought to each other either by relatives or friends. Near Nando himself, his mother died in an accident, and later his sister died from wounds. But when there was no meat left on the bodies of the pilots, the survivors had to eat their friends.
Hunger and cold were not the last test for the unfortunate. Fate brought another terrible surprise: on the night of October 29, the wreckage of the plane's fuselage, in which people spent the night, was covered by an avalanche that descended from the mountains. The element claimed the lives of eight more people. Those who survived for three days were buried under the snow. There was not enough oxygen, everyone was suffocating. Finally, Nando Parrado managed to kick through a small window in the cockpit and dig a tunnel to the surface. By this he saved his comrades from death.
Following the sun
Even before the avalanche hit, they decided that it was time to make their way to the people themselves. Before the accident, the pilot managed to announce that the plane had passed Curico, which means, according to the maps found, the inhabited Chilean valleys begin a few miles to the west. Roberto Canessa urged people to wait until warmer days, because the end of winter was approaching. But the avalanche made it clear that it was time to act. Three volunteered to go on a risky campaign: Nando Parrado, Roberto Canessa and Antonio Vizintin. The rest gave them warm clothes and a lot of human meat.
Moving westward, the expedition soon discovered the tail section that had broken away from their plane. The travelers found clothes and cigarettes in the surviving luggage. chocolate. After spending the night among the wreckage, she moved on. However, the very first night in the mountains made it clear that they could not get far: it got so cold at dusk that the expedition members almost froze to death. I had to go back.
Green plains
People were still hoping to get to civilization. But how to survive the fierce night frosts? And then the idea came up: to sew a warm sleeping bag for the expedition members - one for all. They found large pieces of cloth at the tail end and set to work. The sleeping bag was ready by December 12th. On the same day, the expedition set off again. But on the third day of the mountain trek, it became clear to its participants: their calculations were not correct - the journey would take much longer than they had expected. Then Parrado and Canessa decided to send Vizintin back, and they themselves, taking a significant part of his provisions, went on together.
And the more they moved westward, the warmer it got. Every horseshoe found among the stones, an empty can, a faded label was delightful. People are close! Finally, the ninth day of the campaign was crowned with success - overcoming 70 miles from the crash site. Parrado and Canessa met a Chilean shepherd. Saved!
The next day. On December 22, two helicopters appeared over the crash site. On the first flight, the rescuers managed to pick up only a few people. The rest were thrown off warm clothes and food. promising to return tomorrow. The survivors had to spend one more night in the fuselage. But what is a night compared to two and a half months of waiting!
After rescue
The return to civilization was not easy for the 16 rescued passengers. They were ashamed of the way in which they kept their lives. It was not only doctors who had to work with them, who treated them for frostbite, dehydration, malnutrition, and altitude sickness. scurvy, but also psychologists. And yet the heroes of the “miracle in the Andes” were able to return to normal life. Now, by their example, they help other people in difficult situations.
When the rock collapsed on August 5 this year at the Chilean gold mine "San Jose" and 33 miners were walled up at a depth of 700 meters, five kilometers from the entrance to the mine, four "heroes of the Andes" arrived at the scene of the disaster to support people in trouble. … Through the established video link, they appealed to the miners not to give up and believe in salvation, as they once believed and did not surrender themselves in the ice near the crashed plane. “As we managed to return from the peaks, so you will get out and live a fantastic life,” Pedro Algorta said then. - Look at us - 38 years after the plane crash, we are still alive. This proves that a person can survive the most difficult situations and survive. " Indeed, on October 12, 2010, all 33 miners were rescued. They spent 69 days underground!
And the fact that the passengers of that ill-fated flight themselves survived in the mountains is still called “a miracle in the Andes” by people and is remembered as an example of human self-control and heroism. To this day, feature films and documentaries are being made about this, books are being written. So, in 1992, the director Frank Marshall released the famous movie "Alive". In 2006, the book "Miracle in the Andes" was published, on the pages of which he shares his memories of Nando Parrado.
And at the crash site, where passengers who never returned from flight number 571 are buried, an iron cross rises.
Oleg Gorosov. Magazine "Secrets of the XX century" № 4 2011