Mystery of Flight 571 | World's Greatest Miracle | Dhruv Rathee

Summary

On October 12, 1972, Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crashed in the Andes, leaving 45 passengers stranded. Despite severe injuries and harsh conditions, 33 survived the initial crash. After an unsuccessful search, the survivors, led by medical students Roberto Canessa and Gustavo Zerbino, resorted to cannibalism to stay alive. Fernando Parrado and Canessa embarked on a desperate trek for help, enduring avalanches and extreme weather. After 70 days, they found a Chilean farmer, leading to a dramatic rescue of the remaining 16 survivors, now known as the Miracle of the Andes.

Takeaways

• 🛩️ On October 12, 1972, a chartered aircraft carrying 45 passengers, including rugby players and their families, crashed in the Andes Mountains due to a storm and turbulence.
• ⛰ The Andes Mountain Range is the world's longest and can be as treacherous as the Himalayas, with its high altitude and severe weather conditions.
• 🌩️ The plane encountered a storm and had to land in Mendoza, Argentina, with plans to continue the next day, but the weather led to a fatal crash.
• 🚑 Out of the 45 passengers, 33 survived the initial crash, but many were injured and stranded at an altitude of 3,570 meters without immediate rescue.
• 🔎 Search and rescue operations were launched but were unsuccessful in locating the plane due to its white color blending with the snow and inaccessibility of the crash site.
• 🩹 Two medical students, Roberto Canessa and Gustavo Zerbino, played a crucial role in tending to the injured and assessing the survivors' conditions.
• 🌙 The survivors faced extreme cold and snow blindness, using limited resources like seat cushions and wool to protect themselves and melt snow for water.
• 🥀 As food supplies dwindled, the survivors were forced to resort to cannibalism to stay alive, consuming the bodies of those who had died in the crash.
• 📻 The survivors found a transistor radio that allowed them to listen to broadcasts, learning that the search for them had been called off after 8 days.
• 🏔️ A group of the strongest survivors, including Fernando Parrado, decided to hike out of the mountains in search of help, enduring harsh conditions and avalanches.
• 🗺️ After a grueling journey, Parrado and Canessa were found by Chilean farmers, leading to a successful rescue mission that saved 16 survivors, now known as the Miracle of the Andes.

Q & A

What was the date when the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 took off from Uruguay?

The flight took off on 12th October, 1972.

What was the intended destination of the flight?

The intended destination was Santiago, the capital of Chile.

How many passengers were on board the aircraft?

There were 45 passengers on board, including rugby players and some of their family and friends.

Why did the plane have to stop flying on the initial day of the journey?

The plane had to stop flying due to a storm in the Andes Mountains, and the pilots decided to land in Mendoza, Argentina for the night.

What happened to the plane during the descent on the second day of the flight?

During the descent, the plane encountered severe turbulence and clouds, leading to collisions with the mountain, causing the plane to break apart and crash into a glacier.

How many survivors were there after the crash?

Surprisingly, 33 out of the 45 people on board survived the crash.

What was the initial action taken by Roberto Canessa and Gustavo Zerbino, who were medical students among the survivors?

Roberto Canessa and Gustavo Zerbino immediately started checking who was alive and how to help the injured passengers.

Why was the search operation for the crashed plane unsuccessful initially?

The search operation was unsuccessful because the plane was white and had crashed in an area covered with white snow and ice, making it very difficult to locate.

What drastic measure did the survivors take to stay alive when their food supply ran out?

In a desperate situation with no other food options, the survivors decided to eat the dead bodies of their friends and family members.

Who were the three survivors that set out to find help after the crash?

The three survivors who set out to find help were Roberto Canessa, Fernando Parrado, and Nando Parrado's brother, Vizintin.

How did the survivors finally get rescued after the crash?

The survivors were finally rescued after Fernando Parrado and Roberto Canessa reached a valley, encountered a farmer named Sergio Catalan, and managed to send a message for help, which led to a rescue operation by the Chilean Air Force.