Survivor reveals horrific details of 72 days trapped after plane crash

During the 1972 crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, a group of 45 passengers faced unimaginable adversity after their aircraft went down in the Andes Mountains while en route from Montevideo, Uruguay to Santiago, Chile. Most of the passengers were associated with the Old Christians rugby team, who chartered the flight for an upcoming game. Among them was Álvaro Mangino, a 19-year-old who had links to the team through his girlfriend and school acquaintances. As the days passed without rescue, the survivors faced extreme starvation and made the harrowing decision to consume the bodies of their friends who had perished in the crash. This gruesome survival strategy allowed Mangino and a few others to live for a total of 72 days. Only a fraction of the original passengers ultimately survived, and the ordeal became infamous for highlighting the depths of human survival instinct. The rescue operation, which ultimately brought attention to the crash, occurred many weeks later, making headlines around the world and reshaping the narrative around survival in life-or-death situations. The story of the survivors continues to resonate, drawing attention to the questions of morality, ethics, and the human condition when faced with such extreme circumstances.