Movies Based on True Stories: The Terrifying True Story of Society of the Snow and the Miracle of the Andes
The 1972 crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 and the passengers’ subsequent fight for survival are the subject of a new Netflix movie.
Forty-five passengers and crew boarded Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 on October 12, 1972
Expecting a routine journey from Montevideo to Santiago, Chile, no one anticipated the deadly crash and 72-day fight for survival that followed. Only 16 out of the 45 passengers and crew members on board survived.
Directed by J.A. Bayona, the new movie Society of the Snow is a dramatized account of the Flight 571 accident and the surviving passengers’ struggle to stay alive in extremely adverse conditions.
The passengers, many of whom were members of a rugby team, became known as the 'Miracle of the Andes' due to their resilience and unconventional tactics to survive.
The Tragic Odyssey of the Society of the Snow Began with a Rugby Match
Most of the passengers on Flight 571 were connected to the Old Christians Club amateur rugby team of Montevideo. They were traveling to a friendly match against the Old Boys Club in Santiago, Chile.
The flight, which took off on October 12, experienced bad weather and had to land in Mendoza, Argentina before continuing the journey the following day. However, it was the inexperienced co-pilot at the controls during the final descent that resulted in the tragic crash.
Survivors Faced Unimaginable Challenges in the Andes Mountains
The crash was just the beginning of a harrowing ordeal for the survivors. They were left stranded in the mountains with temperatures as low as 31 degrees Fahrenheit and limited resources.
The group built a makeshift wall out of seats, luggage, and plane fragments to protect themselves from the cold and high winds. They resorted to eating snow for hydration and eventually faced the unimaginable decision of resorting to cannibalism in order to survive.
After 72 days, Nando Parrado, Roberto Canessa, and Antonio Vizintín set off on a treacherous journey for help, traversing the snowy landscape for over 37 miles before finding assistance and leading rescuers back to the stranded survivors.
Media Attention and the Legacy of the Miracle of the Andes
The survivors' story garnered widespread media attention and turned them into celebrities. However, some media outlets sensationalized the harrowing details of their ordeal, and there were even rumors that the avalanche was made up.
Author Piers Paul Read helped spread the truth with his book Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors, which provided an accurate account of the events.
Society of the Snow, the new Netflix movie, is based on a book of the same name by Pablo Vierci, a college classmate of the survivors. The movie highlights the determination and bravery displayed by the survivors and is receiving critical acclaim.
