70-year-old Ramon Sabella, who survived 72 days in the Andes, confessed: “Of course, the idea of eating human flesh was terrible, repugnant.” But they had to do so in order to survive and after hearing on the radio ten days after the incident that the search for them has been called off, it made them more determined than ever to survive.
advertisement
It has been 50 years since the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 disaster and now on its anniversary, one of the victims has spoken about how they ended up eating flesh to avoid death.
It has been half a century since the flight carrying an amateur rugby team from Montevideo to Santiago crashed into the Andes, leaving survivors with no choice but to resort to cannibalism.
The incident was famously retold in 1993’s film Alive and also in the best-selling book, Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors by Piers Paul Read.
Credit: Everett Collection Historical/Alamy Stock Photo
In the 1972 crash, only 16 people survived when the plane went down during the rough weather and it sent the plane crashing into a mountainside, instantly ripping the aircraft’s wings off and killing 12 passengers and crew.
17 more passengers died from their injuries and an avalanche, leading the others to take desperate measures.
A few days back, the survivors of the incident met in Uruguay to recall the horrifying incident, to remember those who didn't survive, and mark the anniversary of the crash.
Credit: Everett Collection Historical/Alamy Stock Photo
advertisement
According to the New York Post, 70-year-old Ramon Sabella, who survived 72 days in the Andes, confessed: “Of course, the idea of eating human flesh was terrible, repugnant.”
Sabella continued: “It was hard to put in your mouth. But we got used to it. In a sense, our friends were some of the first organ donors in the world – they helped to nourish us and kept us alive.”
Fellow survivor Carlitos Paez added: “Eating human flesh doesn’t taste like anything, really.”
Credit: Everett Collection Historical/Alamy Stock Photo
The surviving group decided to eat the flesh of the dead passengers after they had run out of their stock of plane food which consisted of a tin of mussels, eight chocolate bars, three jars of jam, some almonds and dates, and several bottles of wine.
The 16 survivors, who are now a ‘tight knit’ group of friends, also meet annually on 22 December to commemorate the day the rescue began. They mark the day by enjoying a BBQ.
Almost 10 days after the crash, the group heard on the radio that the search for them has been called off and Sabella says this made them ‘more determined’.
advertisement
He explained: “Thinking of the suffering that must have caused our families at home made us even more determined to survive.”
Addressing life after the crash, Paez said he’s made a career of travelling the world to talk about his ordeal, saying: “I’ve done six million miles on American Airlines. I’m condemned to tell this story for evermore, just like the Beatles always having to sing 'Yesterday'.”
Credit: Everett Collection Historical/Alamy Stock Photo