What Would You Do To Survive?

~ Bitchy After 60

In October 1972 a chartered Uruguayan plane carrying a group of rugby players, family, friends and coaches, 40 people in total, crashed in the Andes Mountains. The plane broke in two, the wings broke off, seats flew everywhere as the body of the plane careened down a slope tearing a lot of the floor to pieces. What happens next is a 71-day battle to survive. The group had no winter clothes and very little food or water.

I recently watched J. A. Bayona’s Netflix movie, Society of the Snow, which is based on the book of the same name. The book, written by Uruguayan journalist and writer, Pablo Vierci, who relied on exclusive interviews with survivors, is said to be the most accurate rendition of the event. I still remember hearing the news of the survivors when I was in junior high.

The movie is one that I will not forget. It is gut wrenching, and compassionate. It depicts a group determined to survive even as they watch their friends and love ones die around them. They find a transistor radio in some luggage and hear for themselves the news that the search for them is called off ten days after the crash. Imagine hearing that when you are stuck in the mountains starving and freezing. 

It also shows how they all tried to work together to help each other. Sometimes doing something as simple as massaging one another’s feet. They build walls at the broken end of the plane to keep the weather out as much as possible. They melt snow on plane metal for water. They exhaust any supplies found in the luggage. They have to survive the cold, plus two avalanches and the weather. At one point they are buried in what’s left of the plane for three days.

There is a moment when they have to decide to survive. Based on the rule of 3: 3 hours without air, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food, they understand that they need food. The discussion that they need to eat bodies in order to survive is not easy. The depiction of this and the varying emotions felt by many of the survivors are so real and heartbreaking. Is it legal? Will they get arrested? What about God? Will they be forgiven? How else could they survive? To ease the burden for others, some members of the group state that if they die, they give permission for their bodies be used to help the others survive. It was a difficult decision to make and some took more time than others to decide, but in the end it was the only way. 

After over two months on the mountain, a couple of the stronger survivors hiked across the Andes into Chile. A cold journey that took them ten days. Their determination to survive allowed sixteen people, that the world had presumed were dead, to live.

So what would you do to survive? Me, I will state right here and now that, if I don’t make it, though I will try to do everything I can to make it, I give permission for my body to be used to help others survive.  

Thank you for reading. 

Photo: Quim Vives/Netflix

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30 thoughts on “What Would You Do To Survive?”

  2. I’d have done the same and eaten dead bodies if I’d had to – after all, they’re dead so they don’t care any more. I know it’s upsetting for the families but no point in everyone dying when there’s another option. I’d have hoped though, to be one of the ones still healthy enough to hike off looking for help – that would be my preferred option in the circumstances.

    Mind you, perhaps it’s time (I know this was way back) where people carried some warm clothing and survival type gear on journeys the same as we’re advised to do in our cars. You hear horror stories of people getting stuck in snow and only wearing clothes they’d wear at home in their heated lounges as they never think they might get stuck. Well, travelling, of course you might!

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    1. It was an excellent movie. They finally found the tail of the plane that had pipes wrapped in waterproof insulation that they made into a sleeping bag so they could survive the nights when they hiked out. They were a very resourceful group. I would hope to be one of the strong ones as well, but I am not good in the cold so I would probably be a wimp. I could sew the sleeping bag though.

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    1. The discussion part is not long and very well done. It is mostly to show that it was not an easy decision. The word cannibalism is not used. The movie focuses more on the resourcefulness of the group in other ways and their devotion to helping each other.

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  8. I don’t think any of us really know what we’d do in that situation. The survival instinct is strong and what seems unthinkable in your cozy little living room becomes necessary when you’re facing mortal peril.

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  9. I don’t think my comment went through. I remember this story, I guess we don’t really know what we’d do in this situation. I can’t imagine waiting 2 months to go and try to find help. I imagine I would try to do this much sooner, but who knows. Maggie

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    1. It is a memorable story. They didn’t hike out earlier because they couldn’t survive the cold nights. When they finally found the tail of the plane there was waterproof insulation wrapped around the pipes. They made a sleeping bag from it for the hikers to use to keep themselves warm. They really were quite resourceful over the period.

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  10. The movie is on my to be watched list so I’m happy to know that it is good. Survival is hardwired into us so, as upsetting and horrible as that decision would be, I would opt to save myself. Since I’m not religious, I think the ick factor – not God’s opinion – would be the hardest to overcome. I also would give others the go ahead to dine at chez me if needed (although I might be a bit tough and stringy).

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  12. What a story. I cannot begin to imagine how awful the ordeal was and making the decisions they did would do me in. I don’t know for sure what I’d do, but the idea of cannibalism is abhorrent to me. Still…

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    1. I liked the fact that they didn’t use the word cannibalism in the movie. They focused on the many ways the group worked together to be resourceful and survive. They really did deserve to live. Personally, I feel starving to death would be unacceptable to me.

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