Alive! The Story of the Andes Survivors by Piers Paul Read (1974)
This is the story of the rugby team from Uruguay whose plane crashed in the Andes in October 1972. Most of the passengers were young men on the rugby team and were between the ages of 18 - 26. On the flight from Uruguay to Chile, the plane crashed in the Andes Mountains. No one knew where. The rescue attempt was thwarted by bad weather.
Some of the 46 passengers were killed on impact, or died shortly thereafter. Some survived only to be killed a few weeks later by an avalanche. Many were injured, some seriously. All suffered the trauma from the crash and subsequent conditions high in the mountains, facing freezing temperatures and no food. After several days with no food, the young men realized that the only way they could survive was to consume the corpses of their dead teammates and passengers. Although they were revolted by this thought, they knew that without food, they could not have any hope of surviving.
Ten weeks after the crash, and just days before Christmas, two of the 16 survivors, were able to trek out of the mountains to find help. Their rescuers were amazed that these young men were even able to find their way out of the mountains. Ultimately, helicopters arrived and brought the remaining 14 young men to safety. All were suffering malnutrition.
The author did a wonderful job describing how these young men survived. Each is shown with compassion and love. A terrifying experience for all involved.
Read: August 29, 2009
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