1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:08,900 [music playing] 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 4 00:00:31,033 --> 00:00:32,834 FERNANDO PARRADO : My name is Nando Parrado. 5 00:00:32,934 --> 00:00:36,633 I was one of the 16 survivors of Flight 571 6 00:00:36,734 --> 00:00:38,867 which crashed in the Andes Mountains 7 00:00:38,967 --> 00:00:48,967 on Friday the 13th of October 1972. 8 00:00:51,166 --> 00:00:53,767 I knew a plane cannot fly that close to the mountains, 9 00:00:53,867 --> 00:00:56,633 and I looked towards my mother, and that was a moment 10 00:00:56,734 --> 00:00:59,600 of impact. 11 00:00:59,700 --> 00:01:02,133 [plane crashing] 12 00:01:04,033 --> 00:01:08,400 I was on a very deep coma, so you wake up very slowly. 13 00:01:08,500 --> 00:01:10,800 And I woke up in hell. 14 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:17,934 We waited for a rescue but it didn't come. 15 00:01:18,033 --> 00:01:21,300 Our plane that crashes in the middle of the mountains 16 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:26,033 in this snow season, there's no way people can survive. 17 00:01:26,133 --> 00:01:30,467 And after a week, after 10 days, after three weeks, 18 00:01:30,567 --> 00:01:33,300 after a month of the two months, who would believe 19 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:34,834 there was people alive? 20 00:01:34,934 --> 00:01:39,500 The decision of eating the dead bodies of our friends 21 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:41,967 started to creep into our minds at the same time, 22 00:01:42,066 --> 00:01:45,700 you know, because we all had the same fear, the same lack 23 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:49,700 of hope, the same confirmation that we were dead. 24 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:52,233 And I decided I was going to die, 25 00:01:52,333 --> 00:01:54,400 but I was going to die trying. 26 00:01:54,500 --> 00:01:56,967 [music playing] 27 00:02:31,333 --> 00:02:34,900 Initially, the trip was planned for four days. 28 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,900 We would leave on Thursday and we would come back on Monday 29 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:39,367 morning. 30 00:02:39,467 --> 00:02:41,533 You are young, you don't have that much money, 31 00:02:41,633 --> 00:02:43,367 and the easiest way and the cheapest one 32 00:02:43,467 --> 00:02:47,166 was to charter an Air Force plane. 33 00:02:47,266 --> 00:02:49,900 The night before the plane left for Santiago, 34 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:53,633 the captain of the team told us that there were still 10 seats 35 00:02:53,734 --> 00:02:55,667 available on the airplane. 36 00:02:55,767 --> 00:02:58,700 And if anyone who wanted to bring family or friends, 37 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:00,800 they could go for free. 38 00:03:00,900 --> 00:03:04,033 So I jumped from my seat and I phoned my mother and said, 39 00:03:04,133 --> 00:03:05,233 mom, prepare a bag. 40 00:03:05,333 --> 00:03:08,033 You're going to Chile tomorrow, and tell Susy-- 41 00:03:08,133 --> 00:03:12,266 so she was my sister-- that she's going, too. 42 00:03:12,367 --> 00:03:17,000 Susy, 17 years old, I remember, and she always 43 00:03:17,100 --> 00:03:20,667 was running around my rugby teammates because, you know, 44 00:03:20,767 --> 00:03:23,100 the rugby players. 45 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:26,133 That's how simply it happened. 46 00:03:26,233 --> 00:03:28,567 I wanted to give them a present of love 47 00:03:28,667 --> 00:03:30,633 to invite them to go to Chile with us. 48 00:03:30,734 --> 00:03:32,600 They would shop and have a nice time, 49 00:03:32,700 --> 00:03:35,000 we would come back on Monday. 50 00:03:35,100 --> 00:03:36,700 But it never happened like that. 51 00:03:40,734 --> 00:03:45,967 We left on Thursday but when the plane came close to the Andes, 52 00:03:46,066 --> 00:03:47,567 the weather was not very good so it 53 00:03:47,667 --> 00:03:51,033 had to land in Mendoza, the last city in Argentina 54 00:03:51,133 --> 00:03:52,033 before the Andes. 55 00:03:52,133 --> 00:03:54,734 And we had to wait for the weather 56 00:03:54,834 --> 00:03:58,133 to be better so that the plane could cross. 57 00:03:58,233 --> 00:04:00,934 So we had to sleep in Mendoza that night. 58 00:04:01,033 --> 00:04:03,033 And the next morning, we went to the airport 59 00:04:03,133 --> 00:04:08,967 and we boarded the plane and we left finally on Friday morning 60 00:04:09,066 --> 00:04:10,967 for Santiago. 61 00:04:15,867 --> 00:04:19,834 Nothing made us think or believe that something terrible going 62 00:04:19,934 --> 00:04:21,066 to happen. 63 00:04:21,166 --> 00:04:24,967 Friday the 13th, I'm not a superstitious person 64 00:04:25,066 --> 00:04:27,033 and I don't care about that. 65 00:04:27,133 --> 00:04:31,166 But I know, Friday the 13th and I would crash on that day. 66 00:04:35,166 --> 00:04:38,367 You know, some guys think about it, some don't. 67 00:04:38,467 --> 00:04:43,700 Obviously, the pilot didn't think about it too much. 68 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:46,467 How could a pilot make such a big mistake? 69 00:04:46,567 --> 00:04:49,100 A pilot with experience. 70 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:52,333 RAND PECK: The captain on this flight 71 00:04:52,433 --> 00:04:54,700 was a Uruguayan Air Force colonel, 72 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:58,133 and that implies that he was an experienced pilot. 73 00:04:58,233 --> 00:05:03,133 I know that he had 29 crossings of the Andes, which is a lot. 74 00:05:03,233 --> 00:05:06,000 However his total time is total flight experience 75 00:05:06,100 --> 00:05:08,467 was in the range of 5,200 hours. 76 00:05:08,567 --> 00:05:12,800 And by today's standards, 5,200 hours is not a lot of time. 77 00:05:12,900 --> 00:05:13,934 ENRIQUE CROSA THROUGH INTERPRETER: 78 00:05:14,033 --> 00:05:15,834 The training by the crew was done according 79 00:05:15,934 --> 00:05:17,500 to international standards. 80 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:20,200 It was in a good condition to fly that plane, 81 00:05:20,300 --> 00:05:21,300 without any problems. 82 00:05:25,266 --> 00:05:29,333 RAND PECK: The Fairchild had a max takeoff weight of 45,000 83 00:05:29,433 --> 00:05:33,367 pounds and carried anywhere between 45 and 50 passengers. 84 00:05:33,467 --> 00:05:39,066 The engines that it had were two Rolls-Royce Dart 7 engines 85 00:05:39,166 --> 00:05:44,166 which are approximately 1,725 shaft horsepower each. 86 00:05:44,266 --> 00:05:46,500 The aircraft struggled because it was under-powered, 87 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:49,700 and we pretty much referred to it as a let slip. 88 00:05:55,367 --> 00:05:59,166 GARY ORLANDO: Of the 78 Fairchild 227's built, 89 00:05:59,266 --> 00:06:05,800 23 crashed, and there were a total of 393 fatalities. 90 00:06:05,900 --> 00:06:08,600 A third of them have been involved in accidents, which 91 00:06:08,700 --> 00:06:11,533 equates to not a very good safety record. 92 00:06:11,633 --> 00:06:13,433 FERNANDO PARRADO : At the time, we didn't know the safety 93 00:06:13,533 --> 00:06:16,934 record of that model was absolutely horrible. 94 00:06:17,033 --> 00:06:20,767 Had we known that, we would have never gotten to that airplane. 95 00:06:24,734 --> 00:06:27,300 RAND PECK: After the take off from Mendoza, 96 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:31,700 the captain elected to fly South and make a turn 97 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:33,367 towards the Planchon Pass. 98 00:06:33,467 --> 00:06:35,433 The reason he elected to do this is 99 00:06:35,533 --> 00:06:38,233 because he could fly the aircraft through a Pass 100 00:06:38,333 --> 00:06:41,200 and at a lower altitude. 101 00:06:41,300 --> 00:06:44,867 If he had led to do strictly go over the Andes, 102 00:06:44,967 --> 00:06:47,133 he would have had to go a lot higher, which would have been 103 00:06:47,233 --> 00:06:49,667 a lot more stressful on this aircraft. 104 00:06:49,767 --> 00:06:51,100 It has a hard enough time getting up 105 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:53,367 to 15,000 or 16,000 feet, let alone 106 00:06:53,467 --> 00:06:55,433 what it would have needed to get over the Andes without going 107 00:06:55,533 --> 00:06:57,433 through a Pass. 108 00:06:57,533 --> 00:07:00,867 RICARDO PEÑA: The Andes Mountains rise so abruptly that 109 00:07:00,967 --> 00:07:03,467 they create very serious storms. 110 00:07:03,567 --> 00:07:05,333 The jet stream is coming from the Pacific. 111 00:07:05,433 --> 00:07:09,800 All this moist air gets funneled by the mountains. 112 00:07:09,900 --> 00:07:13,834 That speeds up winds and creates precipitation, creates clouds. 113 00:07:13,934 --> 00:07:17,934 And so the storms that can be formed by the Andes 114 00:07:18,033 --> 00:07:20,700 can be very fierce. 115 00:07:25,967 --> 00:07:27,400 FERNANDO PARRADO : This was a team of friends, 116 00:07:27,500 --> 00:07:32,166 a team of young people flying to have a fantastic fun weekend. 117 00:07:32,266 --> 00:07:35,200 So the mood in the airplane was absolutely happy. 118 00:07:35,300 --> 00:07:38,266 I remember people laughing, people talking, you know, 119 00:07:38,367 --> 00:07:41,033 sitting, kneeling down on the seats 120 00:07:41,133 --> 00:07:43,233 and looking back and talking with the guys. 121 00:07:43,333 --> 00:07:44,433 GUSTAVO ZERBINO THROUGH INTERPRETER: 122 00:07:44,533 --> 00:07:45,767 We were all singing. 123 00:07:45,867 --> 00:07:47,934 We were all super happy throwing the ball 124 00:07:48,033 --> 00:07:50,834 from one side to the other. 125 00:07:50,934 --> 00:07:52,967 It was quite a fun atmosphere. 126 00:07:53,066 --> 00:07:56,333 FERNANDO PARRADO : Initially, I sat on the window. 127 00:07:56,433 --> 00:07:59,266 But Panchito Abal was my best friend, 128 00:07:59,367 --> 00:08:02,200 who was like my brother, and he said, OK, you have been 129 00:08:02,300 --> 00:08:03,600 for a long time on the window. 130 00:08:03,700 --> 00:08:04,867 Let me look down. 131 00:08:04,967 --> 00:08:06,934 It's easier for me if I'm on the window to look out. 132 00:08:07,033 --> 00:08:08,767 So we changed seats. 133 00:08:08,867 --> 00:08:11,433 He sat on the window, he sat on the aisle. 134 00:08:11,533 --> 00:08:15,200 And that's one of those moments in life 135 00:08:15,300 --> 00:08:19,166 that without thinking will decide who would live 136 00:08:19,266 --> 00:08:22,767 and who would die, you know. 137 00:08:22,867 --> 00:08:27,000 RICARDO PEÑA: There was a cloud cover on the mountains so they 138 00:08:27,100 --> 00:08:29,066 have to cross the Andes to Curico. 139 00:08:29,166 --> 00:08:32,200 And they radio Santiago, we are on Curico, 140 00:08:32,300 --> 00:08:35,934 and we want permission to turn north, and then 141 00:08:36,033 --> 00:08:37,633 fly north to Santiago. 142 00:08:37,734 --> 00:08:47,734 MAN ON RADIO: [non-english speech] 143 00:08:49,633 --> 00:08:51,300 EDWARD C. RODE THROUGH INTERPRETER: The Fairchild was 144 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:54,633 expected to arrive at Curico at 3:33 PM, 145 00:08:54,734 --> 00:08:58,934 but it reported that it was over Curico at 3:24. 146 00:08:59,033 --> 00:09:01,967 That distance is usually covered in 11 minutes, 147 00:09:02,066 --> 00:09:05,133 and they reported that they covered it in three minutes. 148 00:09:05,233 --> 00:09:08,633 Surely, the plane was still in the middle of the mountains. 149 00:09:08,734 --> 00:09:10,633 RICARDO PEÑA: So the pilots obviously made a mistake 150 00:09:10,734 --> 00:09:12,500 at some point, calculation. 151 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:15,667 So actually, they're right in the middle of the range 152 00:09:15,767 --> 00:09:18,000 and they're thinking they're already past it. 153 00:09:18,100 --> 00:09:21,800 He makes the unexplained and catastrophic decision 154 00:09:21,900 --> 00:09:24,967 of turning north into the Andes. 155 00:09:25,066 --> 00:09:29,367 This changes the fate of all the passengers in the plane. 156 00:09:29,467 --> 00:09:32,467 So he decided to descend and then 157 00:09:32,567 --> 00:09:34,900 as it was all covered by clouds, he 158 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:37,834 didn't see that the mountains were under the clouds. 159 00:09:37,934 --> 00:09:43,400 RAND PECK: When a pilot gets into a position where he is not 160 00:09:43,500 --> 00:09:48,233 where he expects to be or not where he thinks he is, 161 00:09:48,333 --> 00:09:49,934 in order to get out of that situation, 162 00:09:50,033 --> 00:09:52,967 he has to convince himself that he's made a mistake. 163 00:09:53,066 --> 00:09:56,767 And it is a different mindset, you have to now think 164 00:09:56,867 --> 00:10:00,633 that I've made a mistake, how am I going to get out of this? 165 00:10:00,734 --> 00:10:01,767 ENRIQUE CROSA THROUGH INTERPRETER: 166 00:10:01,867 --> 00:10:03,900 The cause of the accident was clearly 167 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:09,433 human error, fault of the crew. 168 00:10:09,533 --> 00:10:11,800 FERNANDO PARRADO : We started to get into some light-- 169 00:10:11,900 --> 00:10:13,767 not very heavy-- turbulence, you know. 170 00:10:13,867 --> 00:10:16,900 The plane start to shake a little. 171 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:18,033 CARLITOS PAEZ THROUGH INTERPRETER: 172 00:10:18,133 --> 00:10:19,734 The flight attendant came out into the cabin 173 00:10:19,834 --> 00:10:23,433 and said, "put your seatbelts on because the plane is going 174 00:10:23,533 --> 00:10:24,467 to dance a little bit." 175 00:10:28,667 --> 00:10:30,567 FERNANDO PARRADO : And then we got into a little bit heavier 176 00:10:30,667 --> 00:10:34,367 turbulence and the mood changed a little bit. 177 00:10:34,467 --> 00:10:36,367 Nobody was throwing balls, you know, 178 00:10:36,467 --> 00:10:37,700 everybody was sitting on the seat 179 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:39,533 with the seat belt fastened. 180 00:10:39,633 --> 00:10:41,700 RICARDO PEÑA: They head down through the clouds and they 181 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:43,633 think they're descending into Chile. 182 00:10:43,734 --> 00:10:46,066 And of course, as you get closer to the mountains, 183 00:10:46,166 --> 00:10:50,600 there's the turbulence of all the wind currents that create-- 184 00:10:50,700 --> 00:10:52,533 that the mountains create, so they start shaking. 185 00:11:00,433 --> 00:11:05,133 They come from off the cloud cover 186 00:11:05,233 --> 00:11:07,900 and realize that they're completely surrounded by rocks 187 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:08,834 and mountains. 188 00:11:08,934 --> 00:11:09,967 CARLITOS PAEZ THROUGH INTERPRETER: 189 00:11:10,066 --> 00:11:12,100 There was a feeling of fear, and the fear 190 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:14,300 transformed into panic. 191 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:16,333 We felt the acceleration of the engine. 192 00:11:20,233 --> 00:11:22,834 FERNANDO PARRADO : I only had about five or six or seven 193 00:11:22,934 --> 00:11:25,500 seconds to understand that there was something wrong, 194 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:30,300 that we were going to crash. 195 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:32,867 [airplane roaring] 196 00:11:36,333 --> 00:11:38,800 [airplane crashing] 197 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:49,333 The last image that I had is the top of the airplane, 198 00:11:49,433 --> 00:11:54,166 the roof over my head opened and I died. 199 00:11:54,266 --> 00:12:04,333 MAN ON RADIO: [non-english speech] 200 00:12:14,433 --> 00:12:17,200 [airplane crashing] 201 00:12:17,300 --> 00:12:19,300 ROBERTO CANESSA: The plane begins sliding down 202 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:20,934 at a tremendous speed. 203 00:12:21,033 --> 00:12:24,433 And I was waiting for it to slam against the mountain 204 00:12:24,533 --> 00:12:26,433 but it stopped. 205 00:12:26,533 --> 00:12:28,800 [airplane crashing] 206 00:12:30,166 --> 00:12:33,000 And when it stopped, I thought, "I'm alive." 207 00:12:33,100 --> 00:12:35,567 [music playing] 208 00:12:38,033 --> 00:12:40,200 RICARDO PEÑA: I've stood on the impact and I realized that 209 00:12:40,300 --> 00:12:41,700 there's a saddle there. 210 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:44,200 And that the pilots must have seen that saddle 211 00:12:44,300 --> 00:12:47,266 and gone for it to try to overcome the mountains. 212 00:12:47,367 --> 00:12:49,934 To the left, a little to the left or a little to the right, 213 00:12:50,033 --> 00:12:52,233 they would have hit cliffs and the plane 214 00:12:52,333 --> 00:12:53,533 would have disintegrated. 215 00:12:53,633 --> 00:12:55,367 PIERS PAUL READ: It was an extraordinary piece of luck, 216 00:12:55,467 --> 00:12:57,800 I would say, that the plane didn't disintegrate 217 00:12:57,900 --> 00:12:59,367 all together when it hit the mountain. 218 00:12:59,467 --> 00:13:01,500 But really, it clipped off the back of it. 219 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:04,667 And then the front toboggan down the mountain 220 00:13:04,767 --> 00:13:06,333 and didn't hit any-- 221 00:13:06,433 --> 00:13:08,200 I mean, that was astonishing. 222 00:13:08,300 --> 00:13:13,734 The fuselage ended up landing on this very steep gully. 223 00:13:13,834 --> 00:13:15,600 It was all covered in snow, luckily 224 00:13:15,700 --> 00:13:20,667 for them, which allowed the fuselage to slide down, make 225 00:13:20,767 --> 00:13:23,500 a couple of turns that are just a natural fall line, 226 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:25,834 and lead them all the way to the bottom of the glacier. 227 00:13:25,934 --> 00:13:28,734 It was an extremely lucky situation. 228 00:13:28,834 --> 00:13:32,333 PIERS PAUL READ: I just think one must be careful when one 229 00:13:32,433 --> 00:13:33,700 uses the word miraculous. 230 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:36,000 I mean, you've got to think of the people who didn't make it 231 00:13:36,100 --> 00:13:38,333 and who died and indeed who were eaten. 232 00:13:38,433 --> 00:13:40,934 I mean, you know, it obviously wasn't 233 00:13:41,033 --> 00:13:45,200 miraculous to the parents of those boys. 234 00:13:45,300 --> 00:13:48,633 RICARDO PEÑA: This is one of the seat armrests and I found it 235 00:13:48,734 --> 00:13:50,800 high on the mountain. 236 00:13:50,900 --> 00:13:55,000 This belonged obviously to one of the seats that flew out 237 00:13:55,100 --> 00:13:56,400 the back of the fuselage. 238 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:05,633 It was obviously very chilling to think that somebody 239 00:14:05,734 --> 00:14:07,700 was riding on that seat. 240 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:10,700 This is testament to a very tragic moment. 241 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:13,266 [music playing] 242 00:14:28,867 --> 00:14:30,266 CARLITOS PAEZ THROUGH INTERPRETER: None of us 243 00:14:30,367 --> 00:14:32,233 were familiar with snow. 244 00:14:32,333 --> 00:14:34,133 We were like little boys. 245 00:14:34,233 --> 00:14:37,834 In Uruguay, the maximum altitude is 500 meters 246 00:14:37,934 --> 00:14:39,934 so we knew nothing. 247 00:14:40,033 --> 00:14:41,600 It was a disaster. 248 00:14:41,700 --> 00:14:45,767 Dead people, injured people, people with broken legs. 249 00:14:45,867 --> 00:14:46,934 GUSTAVO ZERBINO THROUGH INTERPRETER: 250 00:14:47,033 --> 00:14:48,800 Immediately after the plane crashed, 251 00:14:48,900 --> 00:14:50,734 we went about attending to the wounded. 252 00:14:50,834 --> 00:14:52,500 I went over to Nando's mother. 253 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:54,667 I touched her and she was dead. 254 00:14:54,767 --> 00:14:56,233 ROBERTO CANESSA: She was like wrapped 255 00:14:56,333 --> 00:15:00,767 around a seat in a position that was sure that she was not 256 00:15:00,867 --> 00:15:02,367 alive. 257 00:15:02,467 --> 00:15:04,767 EDUARDO STRAUCH: Nando's condition for us, 258 00:15:04,867 --> 00:15:07,967 he was a dead body. 259 00:15:08,066 --> 00:15:10,433 ROBERTO CANESSA: He had flown from the back seat 260 00:15:10,533 --> 00:15:13,734 to the front seat and his face was very swollen. 261 00:15:13,834 --> 00:15:17,767 And I could barely know whom he was. 262 00:15:17,867 --> 00:15:19,867 EDUARDO STRAUCH: We moved Nando's body near the outside 263 00:15:19,967 --> 00:15:24,467 of the fuselage to make space for us who 264 00:15:24,567 --> 00:15:25,900 survived the accident. 265 00:15:31,166 --> 00:15:32,700 GUSTAVO ZERBINO THROUGH INTERPRETER: The co-pilot 266 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:34,567 was in a lot of pain. 267 00:15:34,667 --> 00:15:36,800 And he asked us to bring him the revolver in order 268 00:15:36,900 --> 00:15:40,166 to kill himself because he was suffering so much. 269 00:15:40,266 --> 00:15:41,934 ROBERTO CANESSA: Someone said that he was alive 270 00:15:42,033 --> 00:15:45,433 and I realized that he was the key man that could tell us 271 00:15:45,533 --> 00:15:47,600 where we were, what was our location. 272 00:15:47,700 --> 00:15:51,000 He was completely trapped so it was impossible to get him out. 273 00:15:51,100 --> 00:15:53,934 RICARDO PEÑA: Before the pilot dies, they hear him saying, 274 00:15:54,033 --> 00:15:55,800 "we passed Curico, we passed Curico." 275 00:15:55,900 --> 00:15:58,000 The pilot was in shock. 276 00:15:58,100 --> 00:16:00,567 He probably realized that he had made a mistake 277 00:16:00,667 --> 00:16:02,500 but he's telling himself, "but how can this be?" 278 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:04,633 ROBERTO CANESSA: I remember very vividly that he said, 279 00:16:04,734 --> 00:16:05,767 "we passed Curico. 280 00:16:05,867 --> 00:16:07,133 We passed Curico." 281 00:16:07,233 --> 00:16:09,700 And there was a map there and we begin looking at the map, 282 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:12,367 and Curico was both on the Chilean side very, 283 00:16:12,467 --> 00:16:13,767 very clearly. 284 00:16:13,867 --> 00:16:16,033 RICARDO PEÑA: So the survivors are thinking this is the only 285 00:16:16,133 --> 00:16:18,400 reliable information we have from somebody who's supposed 286 00:16:18,500 --> 00:16:19,700 to know about this. 287 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:23,000 So if we passed Curico, that means 288 00:16:23,100 --> 00:16:25,533 we are on the western edge of the Andes. 289 00:16:25,633 --> 00:16:28,066 [music playing] 290 00:16:38,533 --> 00:16:42,900 You find yourself in a glaciated valley, 12,000 feet 291 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:44,300 in the middle of the Andes. 292 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:46,967 It's still today is a very remote place. 293 00:16:47,066 --> 00:16:49,767 It's like stepping into a giant freezer, 294 00:16:49,867 --> 00:16:53,200 this valley surrounded by peaks on three sides 295 00:16:53,300 --> 00:16:55,967 and kind of open to the east. 296 00:16:56,066 --> 00:17:00,367 The mountains around you are peaks that are 14,000, 15,000, 297 00:17:00,467 --> 00:17:02,100 16,000 feet high. 298 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:03,600 To the east, you have El Sosneado, 299 00:17:03,700 --> 00:17:06,767 a volcano that's 18,000 feet. 300 00:17:06,867 --> 00:17:08,900 Very sheer, steep walls. 301 00:17:11,533 --> 00:17:13,600 ERIC JOHNSON: This party immediately 302 00:17:13,700 --> 00:17:17,000 had to protect themselves from the elements, or all of them 303 00:17:17,100 --> 00:17:19,500 may not have survived the first night or two. 304 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:23,066 And they're put instantly into a very high altitude environment 305 00:17:23,166 --> 00:17:26,800 where now they have to start a very quickly adjusting 306 00:17:26,900 --> 00:17:28,033 to the elevation. 307 00:17:28,133 --> 00:17:29,433 GUSTAVO ZERBINO THROUGH INTERPRETER: The first night 308 00:17:29,533 --> 00:17:32,867 was horrible because the sun set at 4:00 in the afternoon. 309 00:17:32,967 --> 00:17:35,567 And we had to wait about 15 hours for the sun 310 00:17:35,667 --> 00:17:37,333 to come up again. 311 00:17:37,433 --> 00:17:40,800 ERIC JOHNSON: They quickly had to decide how they're going 312 00:17:40,900 --> 00:17:42,533 to survive the first night. 313 00:17:42,633 --> 00:17:45,367 Sharing warmth amongst themselves 314 00:17:45,467 --> 00:17:47,367 was probably the most important thing 315 00:17:47,467 --> 00:17:48,767 that they could have done. 316 00:17:48,867 --> 00:17:51,300 [music playing] 317 00:18:07,500 --> 00:18:11,166 You're in this expectation that you're going to be rescued, 318 00:18:11,266 --> 00:18:14,333 and hopes are high, and you're going to do everything you can 319 00:18:14,433 --> 00:18:17,700 to survive those first few days until the helicopters come 320 00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:19,967 over the mountain and pick you up. 321 00:18:20,066 --> 00:18:21,333 And then they don't. 322 00:18:21,433 --> 00:18:23,734 [music playing] 323 00:18:27,500 --> 00:18:30,633 And then friends around you die. 324 00:18:30,734 --> 00:18:33,900 EDUARDO STRAUCH: We move all the dead body 325 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:38,667 to the outside of the fuselage so we have more space. 326 00:18:43,333 --> 00:18:44,467 GUSTAVO ZERBINO THROUGH INTERPRETER: 327 00:18:44,567 --> 00:18:48,200 After the plane crashed and we didn't have any food, 328 00:18:48,300 --> 00:18:52,500 we shared a few little cups of liquor, some little chocolates, 329 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:54,600 and that was all we had. 330 00:18:54,700 --> 00:18:57,166 [music playing] 331 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:17,834 Nando, Nando. 332 00:19:17,934 --> 00:19:19,633 CONRADO J. ESTOL: The person had an accident 333 00:19:19,734 --> 00:19:23,600 like the one Nando had, the treatment we would do nowadays 334 00:19:23,700 --> 00:19:27,333 in the 21st century actually exactly what nature did 335 00:19:27,433 --> 00:19:32,166 to Nando with total serendipity in 1972. 336 00:19:32,266 --> 00:19:36,467 It was recently proven that low temperature based hypothermia 337 00:19:36,567 --> 00:19:40,033 is one of the only effective neuroprotectants. 338 00:19:40,133 --> 00:19:43,567 That is something to protect an injured brain. 339 00:19:43,667 --> 00:19:46,567 The fact that Nando was considered dead 340 00:19:46,667 --> 00:19:49,934 and was truly seriously ill and dead bodies close 341 00:19:50,033 --> 00:19:53,800 to the entrance and coldest part of the fuselage 342 00:19:53,900 --> 00:19:57,633 probably extended a significantly protective effect 343 00:19:57,734 --> 00:20:00,266 of his injured brain. 344 00:20:00,367 --> 00:20:02,800 Based on the great paradox, the accident 345 00:20:02,900 --> 00:20:06,033 itself is what probably kept Nando alive. 346 00:20:06,133 --> 00:20:08,400 FERNANDO PARRADO : The first things that I started seeing 347 00:20:08,500 --> 00:20:12,100 were the eyes and the faces of my friends who were very close 348 00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:16,033 to me, looking to me, and speaking, "Nando, we crashed. 349 00:20:16,133 --> 00:20:16,834 Can you hear me? 350 00:20:16,934 --> 00:20:18,033 Can you listen? 351 00:20:18,133 --> 00:20:19,033 Can you hear? 352 00:20:19,133 --> 00:20:20,266 We crashed." 353 00:20:20,367 --> 00:20:23,934 I remember Nando saying the first words, 354 00:20:24,033 --> 00:20:29,600 asking about his mother and his sister. 355 00:20:29,700 --> 00:20:31,533 FERNANDO PARRADO : They said your mother is dead, 356 00:20:31,633 --> 00:20:34,333 and so she's wounded, she's hurt. 357 00:20:34,433 --> 00:20:38,166 My mind discarded in that moment my mother. 358 00:20:38,266 --> 00:20:39,467 I mean, she's dead. 359 00:20:39,567 --> 00:20:41,734 I can't do anything for her so I focused on my sister 360 00:20:41,834 --> 00:20:43,433 and I crawled to where she was. 361 00:20:43,533 --> 00:20:46,667 ROBERTO CANESSA: He was very devoted to her 362 00:20:46,767 --> 00:20:49,033 and was trying to do his best but there 363 00:20:49,133 --> 00:20:51,734 was very little to do. 364 00:20:51,834 --> 00:20:54,333 [music playing] 365 00:20:58,300 --> 00:20:59,967 FERNANDO PARRADO : The first time I got out of there, 366 00:21:00,133 --> 00:21:06,900 I was shocked at the sheer majesty and size of the place 367 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:09,500 where we were. 368 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:12,533 Everything was white, white, white, white. 369 00:21:12,633 --> 00:21:18,266 And it was cold and it was huge and silent. 370 00:21:18,367 --> 00:21:23,333 At an altitude of 11,000, 12,000, 14,000 feet, 371 00:21:23,433 --> 00:21:25,233 there's absolutely nothing. 372 00:21:25,333 --> 00:21:29,066 There's ice, snow, and black rocks. 373 00:21:29,166 --> 00:21:30,467 That's all. 374 00:21:30,567 --> 00:21:35,767 There's nothing that can provide any sort of food or nutrition. 375 00:21:35,867 --> 00:21:36,567 Nothing. 376 00:21:36,667 --> 00:21:39,100 Absolutely nothing. 377 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:41,667 Obviously, we waited for a rescue 378 00:21:41,767 --> 00:21:44,500 from the first, second, third, fourth day, but it didn't come. 379 00:21:46,900 --> 00:21:48,033 ENRIQUE CROSA THROUGH INTERPRETER: 380 00:21:48,133 --> 00:21:51,000 We arrived in Chile and they divided the search area 381 00:21:51,100 --> 00:21:53,834 between the Chilean Air Force, the Argentinean Air 382 00:21:53,934 --> 00:21:55,734 Force, and us. 383 00:21:55,834 --> 00:21:58,867 And we performed a series of flights over the Andes 384 00:21:58,967 --> 00:22:03,400 from north to south, something we had never done before, 385 00:22:03,500 --> 00:22:06,900 and we saw absolutely nothing. 386 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:17,000 [music playing] 387 00:22:19,300 --> 00:22:21,133 CARLOS PAEZ THROUGH INTERPRETER: It will be a little crazy 388 00:22:21,233 --> 00:22:23,800 to assume that your son had survived. 389 00:22:23,900 --> 00:22:27,600 The important thing for me was the search. 390 00:22:27,700 --> 00:22:28,867 CARLOS VERGINELLA THROUGH INTERPRETER: 391 00:22:28,967 --> 00:22:36,033 It was very sad the stage we lived through 392 00:22:36,133 --> 00:22:38,533 and we didn't know anything. 393 00:22:38,633 --> 00:22:41,867 I was one of those who firmly believed that none had survived 394 00:22:41,967 --> 00:22:42,767 the Andes. 395 00:22:46,500 --> 00:22:49,600 GRACIELA PARRADO: My heart told me that they were dead. 396 00:22:54,533 --> 00:22:57,467 FERNANDO PARRADO : The last hours that I spent with 397 00:22:57,567 --> 00:23:01,667 my sister, with Susy, the only thing I could do was to hold 398 00:23:01,767 --> 00:23:02,500 her. 399 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:03,567 We didn't have any medicines. 400 00:23:03,667 --> 00:23:05,633 We didn't have anything. 401 00:23:05,734 --> 00:23:10,433 She was very badly hurt, injured internally. 402 00:23:10,533 --> 00:23:14,166 I stayed with her the whole night. 403 00:23:14,266 --> 00:23:17,567 And I think that she was aware that I was there. 404 00:23:17,667 --> 00:23:19,333 She couldn't speak. 405 00:23:19,433 --> 00:23:22,967 She only looked at me with her beautiful eyes 406 00:23:23,066 --> 00:23:26,700 and she died in my arms that night. 407 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:29,166 [music playing] 408 00:23:32,500 --> 00:23:38,266 At least I'm happy that she passed away with me, you know, 409 00:23:38,367 --> 00:23:39,900 not alone. 410 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:42,467 [music playing] 411 00:23:55,700 --> 00:24:00,367 The real hope died on the 10th day 412 00:24:00,467 --> 00:24:03,367 when we listened on that small transistor radio 413 00:24:03,467 --> 00:24:07,433 that we had that the rescue had been abandoned. 414 00:24:07,533 --> 00:24:13,367 And before the 10th day, we had this glimpse of hope. 415 00:24:13,467 --> 00:24:17,567 And after that, hope was non-existent, 416 00:24:17,667 --> 00:24:21,500 hope only prolonged the suffering. 417 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:24,734 The hope absolutely went away. 418 00:24:24,834 --> 00:24:27,200 [music playing] 419 00:24:29,567 --> 00:24:32,467 I said, Nando, there isn't anything left in the storage 420 00:24:32,567 --> 00:24:35,333 compartments where we kept the chocolates and the can 421 00:24:35,433 --> 00:24:36,900 of sardines that we had. 422 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:41,333 And Nando looked me in the eye and said, Carlitos, 423 00:24:41,433 --> 00:24:42,934 I want to eat the pilot. 424 00:24:43,033 --> 00:24:45,433 [music playing] 425 00:24:58,033 --> 00:25:00,133 FERNANDO PARRADO : The struggle to survive was so strong, 426 00:25:00,233 --> 00:25:03,967 and the fear, and the waiting for the helicopters, 427 00:25:04,066 --> 00:25:09,100 and fighting the cold and the thirst, and the stress, 428 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:10,467 and helping other guys. 429 00:25:10,567 --> 00:25:15,600 You know, days went by and I never felt pain in my stomach 430 00:25:15,700 --> 00:25:16,800 or anything like that. 431 00:25:16,900 --> 00:25:20,233 I was hungry but I don't remember having any pain. 432 00:25:20,333 --> 00:25:23,467 ERIC JOHNSON: When people are in a starvation mode, what happens 433 00:25:23,567 --> 00:25:28,000 is we start taking all our food supplies from our liver. 434 00:25:28,100 --> 00:25:31,400 The next thing to go is typically muscle, and then 435 00:25:31,500 --> 00:25:34,066 our adipose tissue, our fatty tissue, 436 00:25:34,166 --> 00:25:37,000 and then we start digesting our internal organs. 437 00:25:37,100 --> 00:25:39,967 That's really what happens as people starve. 438 00:25:40,066 --> 00:25:42,100 They had to have a food source. 439 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:44,567 You can survive only a few days without water, 440 00:25:44,667 --> 00:25:46,734 they had kind of solved that problem. 441 00:25:46,834 --> 00:25:49,266 [music playing] 442 00:25:53,633 --> 00:25:57,000 But you can only survive in that kind of environment, 443 00:25:57,100 --> 00:26:01,266 you know, from days to weeks without some kind of food. 444 00:26:01,367 --> 00:26:02,934 FERNANDO PARRADO : When you're abandoned, 445 00:26:03,033 --> 00:26:04,233 there's nothing at the altitude. 446 00:26:04,333 --> 00:26:08,533 You look into any item that could be edible, you know. 447 00:26:08,633 --> 00:26:14,266 And we had read so many times about history and explorers who 448 00:26:14,367 --> 00:26:16,200 were without food and they tried to eat 449 00:26:16,300 --> 00:26:20,033 their shoes and their suitcases and leather straps. 450 00:26:20,133 --> 00:26:21,600 And we tried. 451 00:26:21,700 --> 00:26:24,000 We tasted pieces of leather, you know, from suitcases and things 452 00:26:24,100 --> 00:26:24,800 like that. 453 00:26:24,900 --> 00:26:25,600 They're not edible. 454 00:26:25,700 --> 00:26:27,333 They're chemically treated. 455 00:26:27,433 --> 00:26:31,967 They would do much more harm so there was absolutely nothing. 456 00:26:32,066 --> 00:26:34,600 You cannot eat foam from the cushions. 457 00:26:34,700 --> 00:26:36,967 You cannot eat plastic. 458 00:26:37,066 --> 00:26:40,900 When rescue is abandoned, you know that you have to eat. 459 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:43,767 The chocolates are gone, and if you want to survive 460 00:26:43,867 --> 00:26:48,300 and the survival instinct is probably the strongest instinct 461 00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:49,367 on any human being. 462 00:26:49,467 --> 00:26:51,767 It brings you to a different state of mind. 463 00:26:55,200 --> 00:27:01,400 The decision of eating the dead bodies of our friends 464 00:27:01,500 --> 00:27:03,934 started to creep into our minds at the same time, 465 00:27:04,033 --> 00:27:07,533 you know, because we all had the same fear, the same lack 466 00:27:07,633 --> 00:27:11,066 of hope, the same confirmation that we were dead, 467 00:27:11,166 --> 00:27:13,333 that we were condemned, no rescue, 468 00:27:13,433 --> 00:27:16,200 we're abandoned to our own luck. 469 00:27:16,300 --> 00:27:18,200 On the same day, three or four or five guys 470 00:27:18,300 --> 00:27:20,433 started to speak about the same thing. 471 00:27:20,533 --> 00:27:22,467 I spoke it with Carlitos. 472 00:27:22,567 --> 00:27:24,533 I don't remember if I was the first one or not, 473 00:27:24,633 --> 00:27:26,734 but you know, five, six hours later, 474 00:27:26,834 --> 00:27:28,600 everybody was speaking about the same subject. 475 00:27:28,700 --> 00:27:29,734 CARLITOS PAEZ THROUGH INTERPRETER: 476 00:27:29,834 --> 00:27:32,867 I said, Adolfo, Nando is crazy. 477 00:27:32,967 --> 00:27:34,934 He wants to eat the pilot. 478 00:27:35,033 --> 00:27:38,166 And Adolfo told me, he's not that crazy. 479 00:27:38,266 --> 00:27:41,967 My cousins and I have already been thinking about that. 480 00:27:42,066 --> 00:27:46,000 It was very difficult to accept this idea. 481 00:27:46,100 --> 00:27:48,600 It was in the mind of many of us. 482 00:27:48,700 --> 00:27:50,500 We want to live, and the only way 483 00:27:50,600 --> 00:27:55,433 was to eat the bodies of our friends. 484 00:27:55,533 --> 00:27:58,367 You know, one of the things that was used to persuade some 485 00:27:58,467 --> 00:28:01,066 of those reluctant to eat the flesh of dead bodies 486 00:28:01,166 --> 00:28:04,800 was the comparison with the Eucharist, the Catholic 487 00:28:04,900 --> 00:28:08,066 Eucharist whereby, you know, Christ's body turn into bread 488 00:28:08,166 --> 00:28:09,300 and you eat the bread. 489 00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:11,200 And it was a sort of analogy that 490 00:28:11,300 --> 00:28:17,166 helped some of the doubters, if you like, to eat human flesh. 491 00:28:17,266 --> 00:28:21,600 RICARDO PEÑA: The survivors had only a screwdriver and an axe 492 00:28:21,700 --> 00:28:22,800 that was on the plane. 493 00:28:22,900 --> 00:28:25,200 So they had to make more tools. 494 00:28:25,300 --> 00:28:26,900 And some of the tools that they made 495 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:31,467 were knives made out of plastic, of the windows. 496 00:28:31,567 --> 00:28:38,467 And in February 2005, we had the luck to find one of these. 497 00:28:38,567 --> 00:28:40,300 It's one of the knives that they made. 498 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:43,000 Well, the reason why they need a knife was to cut the meat. 499 00:28:43,100 --> 00:28:46,767 So obviously, this was used for that. 500 00:28:46,867 --> 00:28:51,567 It was sharpened or cut with the axe. 501 00:28:51,667 --> 00:28:56,467 ROBERTO CANESSA: It's terrible to invade someone else 502 00:28:56,567 --> 00:28:59,066 and to take advantage of someone that is dead. 503 00:28:59,166 --> 00:29:02,500 And the only reason I did it is because I thought that if I had 504 00:29:02,600 --> 00:29:06,600 died, I would be very proud to be part of a project of life. 505 00:29:12,867 --> 00:29:16,100 FERNANDO PARRADO : It's hard to put yourself in that situation 506 00:29:16,200 --> 00:29:20,166 but being there, you would have been one of us. 507 00:29:20,266 --> 00:29:24,200 There's only one option, the decision comes quite easy. 508 00:29:29,500 --> 00:29:30,367 ERIC JOHNSON: Think about it. 509 00:29:30,467 --> 00:29:32,500 Every individual in that group had 510 00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:36,233 to look down, see little pieces of protein, 511 00:29:36,333 --> 00:29:38,100 a little pieces of fat. 512 00:29:38,200 --> 00:29:41,166 And when they bring it up to their mouth, what's their mind 513 00:29:41,266 --> 00:29:42,533 telling them? 514 00:29:42,633 --> 00:29:45,166 For some, it's going to be, oh my god, this is my friend. 515 00:29:45,266 --> 00:29:48,667 This was someone in seat 3-B. And then 516 00:29:48,767 --> 00:29:52,066 others when they consumed it and all of a sudden 517 00:29:52,166 --> 00:29:54,200 the body responded in a favorable way 518 00:29:54,300 --> 00:29:58,233 where they felt some strength, maybe some flow of energy 519 00:29:58,333 --> 00:30:02,233 back in the body, this was a glimmer of hope where they 520 00:30:02,333 --> 00:30:04,900 can survive and be rescued. 521 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:07,433 [music playing] 522 00:30:13,333 --> 00:30:14,567 GUSTAVO ZERBINO THROUGH INTERPRETER: 523 00:30:14,667 --> 00:30:19,266 From a religious point of view, for me, it wasn't a sin. 524 00:30:19,367 --> 00:30:22,967 I understood that a body that was there, before the worms ate 525 00:30:23,066 --> 00:30:25,834 it, could be utilized by us. 526 00:30:25,934 --> 00:30:28,900 For me, that didn't affect me then 527 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:30,033 and it doesn't affect me now. 528 00:30:30,133 --> 00:30:31,333 ROBERTO CANESSA: From the medical point 529 00:30:31,433 --> 00:30:35,467 of view, it's proteins, it's fat, it's lipids, it's 530 00:30:35,567 --> 00:30:37,533 carbohydrates, and a source of energy, 531 00:30:37,633 --> 00:30:39,700 there's no doubt about it. 532 00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:41,934 RICARDO PEÑA: For them, trying at different parts of the body, 533 00:30:42,033 --> 00:30:46,233 eating organs that are more rich in vitamins, 534 00:30:46,333 --> 00:30:49,233 was essential for the nutrition. 535 00:30:49,333 --> 00:30:50,967 There was something that their bodies were craving. 536 00:30:51,066 --> 00:30:52,367 When they would try something different, 537 00:30:52,467 --> 00:30:55,800 it would taste good because the body's telling them, yes, you 538 00:30:55,900 --> 00:30:58,400 need more vitamins, you need this. 539 00:30:58,500 --> 00:30:59,934 Any different flavor was something 540 00:31:00,100 --> 00:31:02,000 that was highly welcome. 541 00:31:02,100 --> 00:31:07,033 So that's how they ended up eating everything, 542 00:31:07,133 --> 00:31:10,367 you know, almost every part of the body. 543 00:31:10,467 --> 00:31:14,233 ERIC JOHNSON: People use the term cannibalism for their food 544 00:31:14,333 --> 00:31:15,367 source. 545 00:31:15,467 --> 00:31:17,533 I actually consider it more of survival food. 546 00:31:17,633 --> 00:31:19,033 They did what they had to do. 547 00:31:19,133 --> 00:31:26,033 I've read and I have seen our story described as cannibalism, 548 00:31:26,133 --> 00:31:27,600 which I think is wrong. 549 00:31:27,700 --> 00:31:29,767 Cannibalism is when you kill to eat. 550 00:31:29,867 --> 00:31:34,066 I mean, ancient warriors kill the enemy tribes 551 00:31:34,166 --> 00:31:37,467 and then they eat the dead, and it 552 00:31:37,567 --> 00:31:40,100 had a lot of tribal and spiritual meanings also, 553 00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:41,367 you know. 554 00:31:41,467 --> 00:31:45,233 In our case, I think the terminology that we should use 555 00:31:45,333 --> 00:31:50,934 is anthropophagy, you know, and it's just terminology. 556 00:31:55,266 --> 00:31:58,433 We made a pact and we did what people do now. 557 00:31:58,533 --> 00:32:02,567 People give blood to friends, to family members. 558 00:32:02,667 --> 00:32:08,333 They make organ transplants, you know, and we made a pact. 559 00:32:08,433 --> 00:32:13,567 We said, OK, hand in hand, if I die, please use my body, 560 00:32:13,667 --> 00:32:17,867 so at least one of us can get out of here. 561 00:32:17,967 --> 00:32:20,767 As a human being, you will see and do things so horrible you 562 00:32:20,867 --> 00:32:23,967 cannot even start to imagine. 563 00:32:24,066 --> 00:32:25,567 But things get worse. 564 00:32:28,900 --> 00:32:32,200 RICARDO PEÑA: What the survivors didn't realize was that this 565 00:32:32,300 --> 00:32:34,800 place was a time bomb. 566 00:32:34,900 --> 00:32:37,767 [ominous music] 567 00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:50,734 Where the fuselage was, was a place that gets regularly hit 568 00:32:50,834 --> 00:32:52,266 by avalanches. 569 00:32:52,367 --> 00:32:55,433 It was just a matter of time before an avalanche would come 570 00:32:55,533 --> 00:32:56,734 down. 571 00:32:56,834 --> 00:33:00,567 Nobody in the plane had any experience with glaciers, 572 00:33:00,667 --> 00:33:03,367 with avalanches, with snow that's 573 00:33:03,467 --> 00:33:05,967 one of the tragedies of the situation. 574 00:33:06,066 --> 00:33:08,500 [music playing] 575 00:33:13,367 --> 00:33:15,166 SCOTT TOEPFER: Avalanches have been 576 00:33:15,266 --> 00:33:18,934 known to move reinforced concrete buildings 577 00:33:19,033 --> 00:33:20,100 off their foundations. 578 00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:23,000 They've taken trains off the train tracks. 579 00:33:23,100 --> 00:33:27,433 They have taken steel bridges and blown them apart. 580 00:33:27,533 --> 00:33:30,667 So there is an enormous amount of impact pressure 581 00:33:30,767 --> 00:33:33,033 behind avalanches. 582 00:33:33,133 --> 00:33:35,100 FERNANDO PARRADO : You're at the worst thing that can happen 583 00:33:35,200 --> 00:33:36,100 in your life. 584 00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:37,934 I mean, we were stranded in the Andes, 585 00:33:38,033 --> 00:33:40,266 surviving in the worst way a human being can survive. 586 00:33:40,367 --> 00:33:41,667 GUSTAVO ZERBINO THROUGH INTERPRETER: 587 00:33:41,767 --> 00:33:45,533 For three consecutive days, it snowed, and snowed, and snowed. 588 00:33:45,633 --> 00:33:49,300 We were totally enclosed in the plane surrounded by snow. 589 00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:51,467 FERNANDO PARRADO : Surviving in that way, 590 00:33:51,567 --> 00:33:54,834 two and a half weeks after the plane crashed at night, 591 00:33:54,934 --> 00:33:57,834 in complete darkness, we heard the distant sound. 592 00:33:57,934 --> 00:34:00,767 SCOTT TOEPFER: I've heard some people describe an avalanche 593 00:34:00,867 --> 00:34:05,066 when it started as a large boom, like a sonic boom 594 00:34:05,166 --> 00:34:07,967 from an airplane as the avalanche failed 595 00:34:08,066 --> 00:34:09,500 on its weak layer. 596 00:34:09,600 --> 00:34:11,767 Sometimes they make hissing noises 597 00:34:11,867 --> 00:34:13,667 and sometimes they're absolutely quiet, 598 00:34:13,767 --> 00:34:16,266 you don't even know that they are coming down the mountain 599 00:34:16,367 --> 00:34:18,066 until they actually strike you. 600 00:34:18,166 --> 00:34:19,667 CARLITOS PAEZ THROUGH INTERPRETER: Very quickly, 601 00:34:19,767 --> 00:34:23,133 we felt something like the sound of a pack of horses charging 602 00:34:23,233 --> 00:34:25,467 at us, coming from above. 603 00:34:25,567 --> 00:34:29,233 FERNANDO PARRADO : It was something so lightningly fast. 604 00:34:32,266 --> 00:34:35,233 I heard the sound and I looked to my right. 605 00:34:35,333 --> 00:34:37,400 And at that moment, the avalanche hit the airplane. 606 00:34:42,767 --> 00:34:44,767 The avalanche came down off the mountain. 607 00:34:44,867 --> 00:34:48,433 It went right in the open end of the fuselage, 608 00:34:48,533 --> 00:34:51,967 blowing out the wall that they had built to help protect them 609 00:34:52,066 --> 00:34:54,100 and buried all the people that were inside. 610 00:34:54,200 --> 00:34:55,333 FERNANDO PARRADO : Two seconds later, 611 00:34:55,433 --> 00:34:56,800 I was completely buried by the avalanche. 612 00:34:56,900 --> 00:34:57,934 CARLITOS PAEZ THROUGH INTERPRETER: 613 00:34:58,033 --> 00:35:00,667 Quickly, tons of snow got inside the fuselage 614 00:35:00,767 --> 00:35:02,967 and buried us completely. 615 00:35:03,066 --> 00:35:05,400 I was trapped completely by this snow and the avalanche 616 00:35:05,500 --> 00:35:09,867 and it's the most deadly silence you may imagine. 617 00:35:09,967 --> 00:35:11,200 I couldn't moved. 618 00:35:11,300 --> 00:35:14,033 SCOTT TOEPFER: You are stuck in this contorted position. 619 00:35:14,133 --> 00:35:17,300 You could be bent backwards with your heels against your head. 620 00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:22,000 You could be in a position where the pain is just unendurable 621 00:35:22,100 --> 00:35:24,166 and yet you can't breathe anymore either. 622 00:35:24,266 --> 00:35:27,500 It can be a horrible, horrible way to die. 623 00:35:27,600 --> 00:35:30,600 I felt I was dying, and then a smile came to my face 624 00:35:30,700 --> 00:35:34,100 because I realized that everything was over. 625 00:35:34,200 --> 00:35:37,266 You can only survive, you know, 626 00:35:37,367 --> 00:35:40,967 three minutes without oxygen. So if you don't have adequate 627 00:35:41,066 --> 00:35:44,100 oxygen to breathe, you will die in that three or four-minute 628 00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:45,200 time frame. 629 00:35:45,300 --> 00:35:47,367 SCOTT TOEPFER: Probably somewhere around 75% 630 00:35:47,467 --> 00:35:49,200 of people that are buried in avalanches 631 00:35:49,300 --> 00:35:50,500 die from asphyxiation. 632 00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:51,700 CARLITOS PAEZ THROUGH INTERPRETER: 633 00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:55,266 Roy Harley managed to get out, and then I got out. 634 00:35:55,367 --> 00:35:58,533 The first thing that we wanted to do was dig our friends out. 635 00:35:58,633 --> 00:36:01,200 Diego Storm, Nicolich. 636 00:36:01,300 --> 00:36:03,633 But when I got to them, they were both dead. 637 00:36:03,734 --> 00:36:05,867 SCOTT TOEPFER: It was it must have been an incredible panic 638 00:36:05,967 --> 00:36:06,667 situation. 639 00:36:06,767 --> 00:36:07,633 Now, what do I do? 640 00:36:07,734 --> 00:36:08,600 What do I do? 641 00:36:08,700 --> 00:36:10,300 They're all in this confined space. 642 00:36:10,400 --> 00:36:12,333 But as soon as you move snow, you're 643 00:36:12,433 --> 00:36:14,667 piling it on top of other people because everybody's 644 00:36:14,767 --> 00:36:15,834 packed in so tight. 645 00:36:15,934 --> 00:36:17,166 CARLITOS PAEZ THROUGH INTERPRETER: 646 00:36:17,266 --> 00:36:20,033 We continued looking for people, uncovering what we could. 647 00:36:20,133 --> 00:36:21,300 GUSTAVO ZERBINO THROUGH INTERPRETER: 648 00:36:21,400 --> 00:36:25,133 I opened up my eyes and I realized that I was alive. 649 00:36:25,233 --> 00:36:26,600 And they dug me out. 650 00:36:26,700 --> 00:36:28,166 Roy Harley took all the snow from my face. 651 00:36:28,266 --> 00:36:29,300 CARLITOS PAEZ THROUGH INTERPRETER: 652 00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:31,400 And I remember looking for the only woman who 653 00:36:31,500 --> 00:36:35,100 was alive at the time, which was Lilianna Methol. 654 00:36:35,200 --> 00:36:38,600 Looking for her, I found the head of Nando Parrado, 655 00:36:38,700 --> 00:36:41,567 and he managed to survive. 656 00:36:41,667 --> 00:36:46,467 This avalanche killed eight of us, you know. 657 00:36:46,567 --> 00:36:49,667 Eight of our guys were killed by the avalanche. 658 00:36:49,767 --> 00:36:52,200 [music playing] 659 00:37:00,100 --> 00:37:01,367 It's just another brutal blow. 660 00:37:01,467 --> 00:37:03,767 As if things couldn't get any worse, it seems, 661 00:37:03,867 --> 00:37:07,967 you know, avalanche comes, kills eight of them at that point. 662 00:37:08,066 --> 00:37:10,367 And it's hard to imagine, I think. 663 00:37:10,467 --> 00:37:13,400 You're trapped in this little space. 664 00:37:13,500 --> 00:37:16,166 Now, it just completely covered the plane. 665 00:37:16,266 --> 00:37:20,333 There's no light, and now they have a little space 666 00:37:20,433 --> 00:37:22,667 and a little bit of oxygen to survive on. 667 00:37:22,767 --> 00:37:25,834 And they're on top of their dead friends, the ones that were 668 00:37:25,934 --> 00:37:28,934 just alive instance before. 669 00:37:29,033 --> 00:37:32,133 And they have to survive three days and something like that. 670 00:37:32,233 --> 00:37:39,200 I think it's just one of the most horrible circumstances you 671 00:37:39,300 --> 00:37:40,667 can even imagine. 672 00:37:40,767 --> 00:37:45,467 Our first concern was to be buried like a submarine 673 00:37:45,567 --> 00:37:47,500 without power in the bottom of the ocean. 674 00:37:47,600 --> 00:37:50,033 You know, you have water on top, how would you get out of there? 675 00:37:50,133 --> 00:37:51,500 And also, we had air. 676 00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:54,333 So we said, OK, don't move too much. 677 00:37:54,433 --> 00:37:58,800 Breathe, breathe slowly because we don't know if we have air. 678 00:37:58,900 --> 00:38:02,633 A lot of the guys said, OK, what does it matter? 679 00:38:02,734 --> 00:38:04,100 There's certainly no air. 680 00:38:04,200 --> 00:38:05,000 We are buried. 681 00:38:05,100 --> 00:38:06,300 We are dead. 682 00:38:06,400 --> 00:38:10,400 If we get out of this burial, of this fuselage, 683 00:38:10,500 --> 00:38:14,467 we will be on the same situation that we were before, stranded, 684 00:38:14,567 --> 00:38:15,867 lost in the middle of the Andes. 685 00:38:15,967 --> 00:38:16,667 Nobody's looking for us. 686 00:38:16,767 --> 00:38:17,600 We don't have any food. 687 00:38:17,700 --> 00:38:18,667 We don't have water. 688 00:38:18,767 --> 00:38:19,467 We're cold. 689 00:38:19,567 --> 00:38:20,533 We'll die anyway. 690 00:38:20,633 --> 00:38:23,467 So we are already buried, let's stay here. 691 00:38:23,567 --> 00:38:26,300 RICARDO PEÑA: Now, they have to eat from their very own friends 692 00:38:26,400 --> 00:38:27,867 that were right there. 693 00:38:27,967 --> 00:38:32,133 Even worse, you know, I mean, the story of survivors 694 00:38:32,233 --> 00:38:36,934 is it had so many extreme moments. 695 00:38:37,033 --> 00:38:38,934 FERNANDO PARRADO : I think that the human spirit is stronger 696 00:38:39,033 --> 00:38:41,433 than reality sometimes. 697 00:38:41,533 --> 00:38:46,100 And we asked ourselves, what are we doing, you know? 698 00:38:46,200 --> 00:38:48,200 At least we are breathing. 699 00:38:48,300 --> 00:38:51,166 And if we are breathing, we are alive. 700 00:38:51,266 --> 00:38:55,300 Let's fight until we stop breathing. 701 00:38:55,400 --> 00:38:58,600 I found one of the poles that you 702 00:38:58,700 --> 00:39:01,734 tie straps to hold the luggage. 703 00:39:01,834 --> 00:39:05,400 And there was one of these poles in the floor. 704 00:39:05,500 --> 00:39:12,166 And I used it to make a hole in the top of the fuselage 705 00:39:12,266 --> 00:39:15,433 so that air would come in. 706 00:39:15,533 --> 00:39:19,633 I always think that if the avalanche hadn't happened, 707 00:39:19,734 --> 00:39:21,767 we wouldn't have survived. 708 00:39:21,867 --> 00:39:23,033 And people say, why? 709 00:39:23,133 --> 00:39:28,467 And I look back and I say, well, first, the avalanche 710 00:39:28,567 --> 00:39:30,567 covered the airplane, and all the blizzards 711 00:39:30,667 --> 00:39:33,166 and all the storms went over. 712 00:39:33,266 --> 00:39:36,400 So we were not hit directly by the storms. 713 00:39:36,500 --> 00:39:40,300 And secondly, we could wait there one and a half more 714 00:39:40,400 --> 00:39:43,734 months because we had eight more bodies. 715 00:39:43,834 --> 00:39:47,233 And it's very hard to think about that, but it's a reality. 716 00:39:54,066 --> 00:39:55,867 I was terrified. 717 00:39:55,967 --> 00:39:57,033 I didn't know what to do. 718 00:39:57,133 --> 00:39:59,500 I just followed my heart, my intuition. 719 00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:03,467 I wanted to go back to my father and I didn't take into account 720 00:40:03,567 --> 00:40:07,367 all the risks that those things involved. 721 00:40:07,467 --> 00:40:11,333 Had we known what we were going to face, 722 00:40:11,433 --> 00:40:13,500 we would never have started. 723 00:40:13,600 --> 00:40:16,033 [music playing] 724 00:40:28,266 --> 00:40:29,767 RICARDO PEÑA: As this snow melted around it, 725 00:40:29,867 --> 00:40:33,166 it left the fuselage in a bit sort of a pedestal. 726 00:40:33,266 --> 00:40:35,333 So it was very unstable, and in fact, they were afraid 727 00:40:35,433 --> 00:40:37,633 that it was going to roll off into a crevasse. 728 00:40:37,734 --> 00:40:40,066 ERIC JOHNSON: Over the weeks, you know, they 729 00:40:40,166 --> 00:40:43,700 came into a routine of drying out the airplane, 730 00:40:43,800 --> 00:40:45,934 and drying out their sleeping pads, 731 00:40:46,033 --> 00:40:48,734 and gathering water, and gathering food. 732 00:40:48,834 --> 00:40:52,233 And it comes down again to a routine of basics. 733 00:40:52,333 --> 00:40:54,967 They were in a survival situation. 734 00:40:55,066 --> 00:40:58,400 FERNANDO PARRADO : The most secure place on that remote 735 00:40:58,500 --> 00:41:00,133 landscape was the fuselage. 736 00:41:00,233 --> 00:41:03,567 I mean, it was like a hut, was like an igloo, 737 00:41:03,667 --> 00:41:07,000 and comfort was inside that place. 738 00:41:07,100 --> 00:41:09,133 You only got out of there because you 739 00:41:09,233 --> 00:41:13,500 had to trek, you had to test things, you had to explore. 740 00:41:13,600 --> 00:41:17,266 ED VIESTURS: You know, the Andes are an amazing mountain range. 741 00:41:17,367 --> 00:41:20,500 They stretch the whole length of South America. 742 00:41:20,600 --> 00:41:22,533 They're rugged, they're tall. 743 00:41:22,633 --> 00:41:24,633 The air is thin in the Andes just 744 00:41:24,734 --> 00:41:26,567 like in any other high mountains of the world. 745 00:41:26,667 --> 00:41:30,967 So it is a very challenging and difficult range 746 00:41:31,066 --> 00:41:32,967 of mountains to try to climb. 747 00:41:33,066 --> 00:41:34,800 FERNANDO PARRADO : The first guys who left the airplane 748 00:41:34,900 --> 00:41:39,867 for the first time, they just went away like 250 yards from 749 00:41:39,967 --> 00:41:42,734 the fuselage, and they found it so difficult to walk on deep 750 00:41:42,834 --> 00:41:46,834 snow, crevasses, that they had to return. 751 00:41:46,934 --> 00:41:48,033 CARLITOS PAEZ THROUGH INTERPRETER: 752 00:41:48,133 --> 00:41:50,100 It was very hard to go out from the plane. 753 00:41:50,200 --> 00:41:53,400 It was very hard because the plane, in some sense, 754 00:41:53,500 --> 00:41:55,066 would protect you. 755 00:41:55,166 --> 00:41:57,266 I went out on three expeditions. 756 00:41:57,367 --> 00:42:00,066 Went out and came back, always trying to look 757 00:42:00,166 --> 00:42:01,900 for the tail of the plane. 758 00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:07,200 And in the last expedition, I remember that I surrender. 759 00:42:07,300 --> 00:42:08,533 GUSTAVO ZERBINO THROUGH INTERPRETER: 760 00:42:08,633 --> 00:42:12,300 I return with my eyes mostly blinded, burned by the snow 761 00:42:12,400 --> 00:42:14,367 because I didn't have any shades. 762 00:42:14,467 --> 00:42:16,633 And it loosened up my teeth and my feet 763 00:42:16,734 --> 00:42:18,734 were practically gangrened. 764 00:42:18,834 --> 00:42:22,200 It was very tough because you felt like an insect 765 00:42:22,300 --> 00:42:24,000 against the hugest forces of nature. 766 00:42:24,100 --> 00:42:25,333 CARLITOS PAEZ THROUGH INTERPRETER: 767 00:42:25,433 --> 00:42:29,367 It is the story of being easier to die than it is to live. 768 00:42:29,467 --> 00:42:33,200 The most attractive option was to die. 769 00:42:33,300 --> 00:42:35,734 We are creatures of learning, you know, 770 00:42:35,834 --> 00:42:37,900 and we had to gain experience. 771 00:42:38,000 --> 00:42:40,000 If we want to attempt further expeditions, 772 00:42:40,100 --> 00:42:42,467 we will have to be more careful, we 773 00:42:42,567 --> 00:42:43,967 will have to be better equipped. 774 00:42:44,066 --> 00:42:46,900 ED VIESTURS: Any survival story that you read about, 775 00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:49,333 whether it's on a desert island or in the middle of the ocean 776 00:42:49,433 --> 00:42:52,767 or in the mountains, people simply out of desperation 777 00:42:52,867 --> 00:42:56,133 improvise and they build and make the things 778 00:42:56,233 --> 00:42:58,166 that they need to survive. 779 00:42:58,266 --> 00:43:00,633 [music playing] 780 00:43:03,433 --> 00:43:05,834 FERNANDO PARRADO : Once that we had created a couple of snow 781 00:43:05,934 --> 00:43:09,000 shoes, I was selected as the expedition leader 782 00:43:09,100 --> 00:43:12,400 because probably of my will to get out of there and look 783 00:43:12,500 --> 00:43:14,867 for my father and go back to him. 784 00:43:14,967 --> 00:43:17,633 And then I said, OK, we have to test the equipment. 785 00:43:17,734 --> 00:43:19,834 We have to go further down the valley 786 00:43:19,934 --> 00:43:23,467 to see how we react ourselves as a team. 787 00:43:23,567 --> 00:43:25,333 PIERS PAUL READ: Nando became a kind of, you know, 788 00:43:25,433 --> 00:43:27,233 what in a boarding school called the head boy. 789 00:43:27,333 --> 00:43:29,667 I mean, he was sort of-- 790 00:43:29,767 --> 00:43:31,533 the younger boys looked up to him. 791 00:43:31,633 --> 00:43:34,000 [music playing] 792 00:43:38,200 --> 00:43:39,600 FERNANDO PARRADO : Roberto, Antonio, myself, 793 00:43:39,700 --> 00:43:45,066 we left one morning to try to get away as far as we could 794 00:43:45,166 --> 00:43:48,600 from the airplane and come back in the day. 795 00:43:48,700 --> 00:43:49,867 It was a test. 796 00:43:49,967 --> 00:43:52,567 It was a research and development, you could call it. 797 00:43:52,667 --> 00:43:55,333 And we started to walk down the valley, down the valley, 798 00:43:55,433 --> 00:43:56,533 down the valley. 799 00:43:56,633 --> 00:44:00,166 And suddenly, as soon as we went over a small hill, 800 00:44:00,266 --> 00:44:02,500 we saw the tail. 801 00:44:02,600 --> 00:44:06,166 The tail had flown, had been torn from the fuselage 802 00:44:06,266 --> 00:44:08,467 and it had cartwheeled down the mountain. 803 00:44:08,567 --> 00:44:10,433 And it was in the valley. 804 00:44:10,533 --> 00:44:12,133 There were a few suitcases there. 805 00:44:12,233 --> 00:44:16,133 And instantly, we searched for food. 806 00:44:16,233 --> 00:44:22,533 We only found a small box of chocolates, and the camera. 807 00:44:22,633 --> 00:44:25,500 We also found something that was quite interesting, 808 00:44:25,600 --> 00:44:27,433 which were the batteries. 809 00:44:27,533 --> 00:44:31,200 24 volt batteries that were installed there at the tail. 810 00:44:31,300 --> 00:44:33,467 And we said, OK, we have batteries, 811 00:44:33,567 --> 00:44:36,433 we have radios in the cockpit. 812 00:44:36,533 --> 00:44:39,834 Maybe we can make these radios work. 813 00:44:39,934 --> 00:44:42,066 So we decided to spend the night there, 814 00:44:42,166 --> 00:44:46,133 and the next day, we went all the way up to the fuselage 815 00:44:46,233 --> 00:44:47,500 again. 816 00:44:47,600 --> 00:44:52,934 And we said, OK, we have to take the radios from the cockpit. 817 00:44:53,033 --> 00:44:54,100 Roy helped us. 818 00:44:54,200 --> 00:44:57,734 As he has assembled a stereo unit in his home, 819 00:44:57,834 --> 00:45:00,133 we declared him the radio expert. 820 00:45:00,233 --> 00:45:03,667 But you know, that connecting radio equipment to batteries 821 00:45:03,767 --> 00:45:04,600 is not easy. 822 00:45:04,700 --> 00:45:06,166 We didn't have any knowledge. 823 00:45:06,266 --> 00:45:09,734 And from the back part of those radios, bundles of cables 824 00:45:09,834 --> 00:45:11,900 came out that we had to cut. 825 00:45:12,000 --> 00:45:15,100 How do we connect those cables to the batteries? 826 00:45:15,200 --> 00:45:17,066 Impossible, you know. 827 00:45:17,166 --> 00:45:18,266 They never worked. 828 00:45:18,367 --> 00:45:23,900 And another piece of hope was completely destroyed 829 00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:26,100 and we were very depressed because we had put a lot 830 00:45:26,200 --> 00:45:28,133 of hope on the radio to work. 831 00:45:32,367 --> 00:45:35,100 When we found the camera on the tail, 832 00:45:35,200 --> 00:45:37,266 I remember saying, OK, it has a roll. 833 00:45:37,367 --> 00:45:41,033 Let's take pictures because maybe this camera 834 00:45:41,133 --> 00:45:42,433 will be found. 835 00:45:42,533 --> 00:45:47,066 Maybe 50, 60, 100 years from now and they will reveal the roll 836 00:45:47,166 --> 00:45:49,166 and they will see that people lived here. 837 00:45:49,266 --> 00:45:53,166 Because on our minds, we were going to die. 838 00:45:53,266 --> 00:45:54,800 So we took photographs. 839 00:45:54,900 --> 00:45:57,767 [music playing] 840 00:46:05,400 --> 00:46:06,500 GUSTAVO ZERBINO THROUGH INTERPRETER: 841 00:46:06,600 --> 00:46:08,633 One night, Arturo threw something at me, 842 00:46:08,734 --> 00:46:11,233 and he said he was in a lot of pain. 843 00:46:11,333 --> 00:46:14,700 So I lowered him and he told me that he was dying. 844 00:46:14,800 --> 00:46:18,166 So for about an hour, I started doing CPR. 845 00:46:18,266 --> 00:46:22,133 When I stopped, he was acting as if he was going to die. 846 00:46:22,233 --> 00:46:24,400 And so I continued until finally, I told him 847 00:46:24,500 --> 00:46:26,533 I couldn't do it anymore. 848 00:46:26,633 --> 00:46:30,700 And he got really calm and he let go of my hands like this 849 00:46:30,800 --> 00:46:35,100 and he died with the look of happiness on his face. 850 00:46:35,200 --> 00:46:37,600 [music playing] 851 00:46:44,367 --> 00:46:46,233 FERNANDO PARRADO : In the case of Numa Turcatti, 852 00:46:46,333 --> 00:46:49,233 his physical condition told him that he was going to die, 853 00:46:49,333 --> 00:46:51,100 that there was no way out. 854 00:46:51,200 --> 00:46:52,433 And he did not survive. 855 00:46:52,533 --> 00:46:54,233 GUSTAVO ZERBINO THROUGH INTERPRETER: We left him a lot 856 00:46:54,333 --> 00:46:55,900 and he never complained. 857 00:46:56,000 --> 00:46:58,000 He died weighing 55 pounds. 858 00:47:02,867 --> 00:47:06,500 Waiting in his horrible at that 859 00:47:06,600 --> 00:47:09,500 point when you're condemned to die. 860 00:47:09,600 --> 00:47:12,533 [music playing] 861 00:47:26,266 --> 00:47:28,533 I kept speaking with Roberto. 862 00:47:28,633 --> 00:47:31,066 Roberto, we have to get out of here as soon as we can. 863 00:47:31,166 --> 00:47:33,233 We couldn't try to escape to the south 864 00:47:33,333 --> 00:47:34,867 because we didn't know where we were going. 865 00:47:34,967 --> 00:47:37,834 To the north, the northern part of South America. 866 00:47:37,934 --> 00:47:40,834 For us to the east, laid the whole Andes. 867 00:47:40,934 --> 00:47:45,000 But to the west was Chile, and we had to aim to that country. 868 00:47:52,233 --> 00:47:55,367 The pilot, before he died, had said we've crossed the Andes 869 00:47:55,467 --> 00:47:56,800 and Chile is to the West. 870 00:47:56,900 --> 00:47:58,967 And this, to the West is Chile, became a kind 871 00:47:59,066 --> 00:48:04,333 of slogan, that kind of dogma that none of them could doubt. 872 00:48:07,800 --> 00:48:09,633 FERNANDO PARRADO : We didn't know if we were in Argentina. 873 00:48:09,734 --> 00:48:12,533 And Chile, we only knew that to the west 874 00:48:12,633 --> 00:48:15,667 was Chile because of the sun. 875 00:48:15,767 --> 00:48:18,467 We would climb one mountain, and from the top, 876 00:48:18,567 --> 00:48:22,834 we would see green valleys lights of our city 877 00:48:22,934 --> 00:48:23,734 in the horizon. 878 00:48:27,200 --> 00:48:30,000 To the west, we would be saved. 879 00:48:30,100 --> 00:48:33,000 Their information indicated that the wise decision 880 00:48:33,100 --> 00:48:34,400 was west. 881 00:48:34,500 --> 00:48:36,633 They thought over that ridge is going to be the green valleys 882 00:48:36,734 --> 00:48:38,033 of Chile. 883 00:48:38,133 --> 00:48:40,967 To the east, not only do they think that the whole Andes was 884 00:48:41,066 --> 00:48:44,166 there, but there's nothing really encouraging for them 885 00:48:44,266 --> 00:48:47,900 other than the fact that it's downhill. 886 00:48:48,000 --> 00:48:52,433 The survivors didn't realize if they would have gone east 887 00:48:52,533 --> 00:48:57,333 into that valley, there's a hotel 18 miles away from them. 888 00:48:57,433 --> 00:48:59,934 [music playing] 889 00:49:06,667 --> 00:49:10,633 [music playing] 890 00:49:13,633 --> 00:49:16,900 The hotel is 18 miles away. 891 00:49:17,000 --> 00:49:22,467 It is a hell of a hike out to get to that point. 892 00:49:22,567 --> 00:49:26,467 RICARDO PENA: And it's on the other side of the Hotel river. 893 00:49:26,567 --> 00:49:28,000 It is quite a big river too. 894 00:49:28,100 --> 00:49:29,433 You can really cross it. 895 00:49:29,533 --> 00:49:30,934 So most likely it wouldn't have been 896 00:49:31,033 --> 00:49:33,734 able to get to the other side, where the hotel was. 897 00:49:33,834 --> 00:49:36,667 So it's-- it's easy to second guess once you know everything 898 00:49:36,767 --> 00:49:37,467 else. 899 00:49:37,567 --> 00:49:38,367 But they did. 900 00:49:44,633 --> 00:49:47,567 And Nando was very desperate to-- 901 00:49:47,667 --> 00:49:49,667 to get out of there because he-- he 902 00:49:49,767 --> 00:49:51,400 wanted to go back to his father and tell him 903 00:49:51,500 --> 00:49:53,333 that not everything was lost. 904 00:49:53,433 --> 00:49:56,033 Nando was-- was raring to go. 905 00:49:56,133 --> 00:49:57,900 PIERS RAUL READ: He had this extraordinary determination 906 00:49:58,000 --> 00:50:00,266 to leave and get back to his father. 907 00:50:00,367 --> 00:50:03,900 I think he realized that either he got himself out 908 00:50:04,000 --> 00:50:07,033 of there or most likely they were all going to die. 909 00:50:07,133 --> 00:50:09,400 PIERS RAUL READ: I think the others procrastinated, 910 00:50:09,500 --> 00:50:11,667 they hesitated, they held him back, 911 00:50:11,767 --> 00:50:15,266 they thought it wasn't right, they kept putting it off. 912 00:50:15,367 --> 00:50:16,500 It's difficult to know why. 913 00:50:16,600 --> 00:50:18,400 I think partly because-- because they were frightened 914 00:50:18,500 --> 00:50:19,266 he might fail. 915 00:50:19,367 --> 00:50:21,433 He had the same time understood 916 00:50:21,533 --> 00:50:22,600 that he needed support. 917 00:50:22,700 --> 00:50:24,000 ROBERTO CANESSA: So he asked me to-- 918 00:50:24,100 --> 00:50:25,333 to go with him. 919 00:50:25,433 --> 00:50:27,400 And I saw that in the plane, there 920 00:50:27,500 --> 00:50:30,166 were lots of people pushing Nando and grabbing Nando 921 00:50:30,266 --> 00:50:31,867 thought of getting out of there. 922 00:50:31,967 --> 00:50:33,333 But they wouldn't go with him. 923 00:50:33,433 --> 00:50:36,834 So I thought that this was a very coward attitude 924 00:50:36,934 --> 00:50:41,233 of supporting someone, but not completely. 925 00:50:41,333 --> 00:50:42,600 ROBERTO CANESSA: At that moment, I 926 00:50:42,700 --> 00:50:46,500 realized that I was the guy that-- that could have Nando. 927 00:50:46,600 --> 00:50:48,667 Nando said because you see very well. 928 00:50:48,767 --> 00:50:49,900 You can handle the maps. 929 00:50:50,000 --> 00:50:51,300 And you're a handy man. 930 00:50:51,400 --> 00:50:52,934 And-- and I want you to go. 931 00:50:53,033 --> 00:50:55,266 ROBERTO CANESSA: And Tintin was fit, and Nando was fit, 932 00:50:55,367 --> 00:50:57,333 I was fit. 933 00:50:57,433 --> 00:51:00,667 The last expedition was made up of Parrado, Canessa, 934 00:51:00,767 --> 00:51:01,900 and [inaudible]. 935 00:51:02,000 --> 00:51:04,967 And they had the sleeping bag. 936 00:51:05,066 --> 00:51:06,934 I had the idea that with the insulation 937 00:51:07,033 --> 00:51:08,700 you can make a sleeping bag. 938 00:51:08,800 --> 00:51:12,333 CARLITOS PAEZ: But I not only had the idea, I made it myself. 939 00:51:12,433 --> 00:51:16,700 And it was without a doubt the proudest moment of my life. 940 00:51:16,800 --> 00:51:19,967 The contribution that I made for that final expedition, 941 00:51:20,066 --> 00:51:23,233 that sleeping bag that I made. 942 00:51:23,333 --> 00:51:26,433 Carlitos with a needle and copper wire. 943 00:51:26,533 --> 00:51:28,367 Sew those pieces together. 944 00:51:28,467 --> 00:51:30,400 NANDO PARRADO: And we made like-- like a sleeping bag that 945 00:51:30,500 --> 00:51:35,533 was fundamental to cope with the cold in-- in the scape. 946 00:51:35,633 --> 00:51:36,767 When I go on a climb, you know, 947 00:51:36,867 --> 00:51:38,734 I have a checklist of equipment. 948 00:51:38,834 --> 00:51:42,533 Cold weather gear, solid heavy boots, 949 00:51:42,633 --> 00:51:46,567 crampons which attach to the boots which give me traction 950 00:51:46,667 --> 00:51:47,967 in the snow. 951 00:51:48,066 --> 00:51:52,867 Ice axes gloves, hats, insulated clothing, tents, sleeping bags, 952 00:51:52,967 --> 00:51:54,400 ropes, anchors. 953 00:51:54,500 --> 00:51:57,233 ED VIESTURS: I mean, there's-- there's a-- a pile of equipment 954 00:51:57,333 --> 00:52:00,467 that we really don't ever leave home without when we go 955 00:52:00,567 --> 00:52:01,500 into the mountains. 956 00:52:01,600 --> 00:52:03,767 And when these guys crashed, you know, 957 00:52:03,867 --> 00:52:06,500 they were rugby players, they were dressed for summer. 958 00:52:06,600 --> 00:52:09,166 ED VIESTURS: And to land in the middle of this Arctic 959 00:52:09,266 --> 00:52:12,834 wilderness, you might say with literally nothing, 960 00:52:12,934 --> 00:52:14,567 it was pretty amazing feat. 961 00:52:14,667 --> 00:52:15,900 We've got to improvise. 962 00:52:16,000 --> 00:52:19,433 We've got to build and create our own equipment just so 963 00:52:19,533 --> 00:52:20,900 that we can get out of here. 964 00:52:21,000 --> 00:52:23,000 We had already decided that the three of us 965 00:52:23,100 --> 00:52:25,533 were going to leave the airplane as soon as we 966 00:52:25,633 --> 00:52:28,467 had a window in the weather. 967 00:52:28,567 --> 00:52:32,000 NANDO PARRADO: Finally, we left on December 12. 968 00:52:32,100 --> 00:52:35,000 The three of us. 969 00:52:35,100 --> 00:52:36,000 We left to walk off. 970 00:52:36,100 --> 00:52:38,300 And Nando returns, and he tells me. 971 00:52:38,400 --> 00:52:42,900 Carlitos, before leaving, I want to give a kiss to your rosary. 972 00:52:43,000 --> 00:52:44,967 CARLITOS PAEZ: In exchange for that, he gives me a little shoe 973 00:52:45,066 --> 00:52:46,200 and he tells me. 974 00:52:46,300 --> 00:52:48,767 Carlitos, I promise you that I'm going to come back 975 00:52:48,867 --> 00:52:50,133 for this other shoe. 976 00:52:50,233 --> 00:52:53,767 That he was going to come back to reunite the pair. 977 00:52:53,867 --> 00:52:57,266 But then he adds, and this is the most important. 978 00:52:57,367 --> 00:52:59,166 But if this doesn't happen, and you guys 979 00:52:59,266 --> 00:53:04,400 need to use my mother and my sister, and do it. 980 00:53:04,500 --> 00:53:06,433 And that was such a great act because he 981 00:53:06,533 --> 00:53:09,266 didn't have to give us that authorization, but he did. 982 00:53:14,867 --> 00:53:17,433 To the West is Chile, and this was the idea 983 00:53:17,533 --> 00:53:20,233 which we left in the fuselage. 984 00:53:20,333 --> 00:53:23,033 The only certain thing was the West was Chile. 985 00:53:27,233 --> 00:53:29,200 ROBERTO CANESSA: On the first day, 986 00:53:29,300 --> 00:53:32,033 we were very optimistic and full of energy. 987 00:53:32,133 --> 00:53:33,433 And at the beginning of the day, 988 00:53:33,533 --> 00:53:35,934 everything is very easy because it's always very hard. 989 00:53:36,033 --> 00:53:37,633 ROBERTO CANESSA: But as the day passes by, 990 00:53:37,734 --> 00:53:38,967 the snow begins to melt. 991 00:53:39,066 --> 00:53:41,600 NANDO PARRADO: I had never claimed any mountains before. 992 00:53:41,700 --> 00:53:45,333 So I didn't know what I was doing. 993 00:53:45,433 --> 00:53:46,633 But it was so strenuous. 994 00:53:46,734 --> 00:53:49,066 You know, at that altitude, you breathe 995 00:53:49,166 --> 00:53:51,400 and you get less oxygen. 996 00:53:51,500 --> 00:53:53,266 NANDO PARRADO: And I remember seeing those films 997 00:53:53,367 --> 00:53:56,633 with climbers, walking very slowly towards the summit 998 00:53:56,734 --> 00:53:57,700 of the mountain. 999 00:53:57,800 --> 00:53:59,300 And I said, why don't they walk faster? 1000 00:53:59,400 --> 00:54:01,633 You know, and then I was in the situation, 1001 00:54:01,734 --> 00:54:03,800 and I just couldn't move fast, you know. 1002 00:54:03,900 --> 00:54:07,200 You just take five breaths and move one leg. 1003 00:54:07,300 --> 00:54:11,467 And then the other leg and you climb and climb. 1004 00:54:11,567 --> 00:54:13,667 ED VIESTURS: When they were confronted with this headwall, 1005 00:54:13,767 --> 00:54:18,567 they had 2000 feet of climbing to do at a 45 degree 1006 00:54:18,667 --> 00:54:21,300 angle, which is quite steep. 1007 00:54:21,400 --> 00:54:26,533 And the snow was an impediment to their climbing higher. 1008 00:54:26,633 --> 00:54:28,300 And you can imagine without any skill, 1009 00:54:28,400 --> 00:54:31,633 without any training, you're like a child when you are 1010 00:54:31,734 --> 00:54:33,066 confronted with a snow slope. 1011 00:54:33,166 --> 00:54:34,266 You try to go straight up. 1012 00:54:34,367 --> 00:54:36,100 You might be using your hands and your feet. 1013 00:54:36,200 --> 00:54:37,667 You're slipping or sliding. 1014 00:54:37,767 --> 00:54:40,166 And for every step that you go up, 1015 00:54:40,266 --> 00:54:41,934 you slide back a half a step. 1016 00:54:42,033 --> 00:54:45,200 RICARDO PENA: It's hard to explain the fear of the unknown 1017 00:54:45,300 --> 00:54:48,734 that having no clue what you're getting yourself into. 1018 00:54:48,834 --> 00:54:49,967 It could be terrifying. 1019 00:54:50,066 --> 00:54:52,333 You know even in mountaineering when we do know 1020 00:54:52,433 --> 00:54:55,834 what we're up against, what the route is, what the summit is, 1021 00:54:55,934 --> 00:54:58,834 what it's been documented and everything. 1022 00:54:58,934 --> 00:55:01,433 It's still intimidating. 1023 00:55:01,533 --> 00:55:02,567 NANDO PARRADO: Looks like courage. 1024 00:55:02,667 --> 00:55:03,633 It looks-- 1025 00:55:03,734 --> 00:55:05,467 And I can tell you it was not courage. 1026 00:55:05,567 --> 00:55:06,600 It was fear. 1027 00:55:06,700 --> 00:55:08,433 And which I then took to climb through-- 1028 00:55:08,533 --> 00:55:11,333 through the rocky parts instead of the snow leaving the snow. 1029 00:55:11,433 --> 00:55:12,500 And this came on loose. 1030 00:55:12,600 --> 00:55:14,166 And there were huge rocks coming down. 1031 00:55:14,266 --> 00:55:16,166 Something you know, we are going to close up. 1032 00:55:16,266 --> 00:55:17,133 Nando, come down. 1033 00:55:17,233 --> 00:55:19,467 This is not the way. 1034 00:55:19,567 --> 00:55:21,633 NANDO PARRADO: I was so-- 1035 00:55:21,734 --> 00:55:23,233 so wasted, you know. 1036 00:55:23,333 --> 00:55:26,133 When we reached one of the false summits. 1037 00:55:34,734 --> 00:55:35,467 I said I-- 1038 00:55:35,567 --> 00:55:37,000 there's no strength in me. 1039 00:55:37,100 --> 00:55:38,867 You know, I don't I said come on. 1040 00:55:38,967 --> 00:55:39,767 Are you breathing? 1041 00:55:39,867 --> 00:55:41,166 You know, you're still breathing. 1042 00:55:41,266 --> 00:55:42,400 Come on. You can do it. 1043 00:55:42,500 --> 00:55:43,600 OK. 1044 00:55:43,700 --> 00:55:46,800 I said I'll keep on going until I stop breathing. 1045 00:55:46,900 --> 00:55:48,900 NANDO PARRADO: You know that was my-- my thought. 1046 00:55:49,000 --> 00:55:50,033 Nothing more profound. 1047 00:55:50,133 --> 00:55:52,400 Nothing more critical. 1048 00:55:52,500 --> 00:55:53,200 I'm alive. 1049 00:55:53,300 --> 00:55:54,000 I'm breathing. 1050 00:55:54,100 --> 00:55:55,066 I'll keep on going. 1051 00:55:55,166 --> 00:55:56,567 And we put the sleeping bag. 1052 00:55:56,667 --> 00:55:58,834 And-- and the wind come down. 1053 00:55:58,934 --> 00:56:00,166 And the rally was incredible. 1054 00:56:00,266 --> 00:56:01,900 It was just gorgeous. 1055 00:56:02,000 --> 00:56:03,400 ROBERTO CANESSA: The moon came down. 1056 00:56:03,500 --> 00:56:04,700 And we had some rain. 1057 00:56:04,800 --> 00:56:06,667 And we had fine on the tail of the plane. 1058 00:56:06,767 --> 00:56:08,500 And taking this rain and I couldn't believe 1059 00:56:08,600 --> 00:56:13,900 that I was enjoying the scenery after struggling and crying 1060 00:56:14,000 --> 00:56:14,867 and weeping. 1061 00:56:22,266 --> 00:56:24,867 What we were facing after the first day 1062 00:56:24,967 --> 00:56:29,333 climbing that first mountain was not what I expected to find. 1063 00:56:29,433 --> 00:56:30,600 NANDO PARRADO: The first day I thought 1064 00:56:30,700 --> 00:56:32,767 I was going to be in the summit and looking 1065 00:56:32,867 --> 00:56:34,000 at the green valleys of Chile. 1066 00:56:34,100 --> 00:56:38,066 But we were halfway climbing the mountain. 1067 00:56:38,166 --> 00:56:39,266 CARLITOS PAEZ: What is it-- 1068 00:56:39,367 --> 00:56:41,800 it was very disheartening for the first three days 1069 00:56:41,900 --> 00:56:45,033 because it took them three days to climb up. 1070 00:56:45,133 --> 00:56:48,767 What they thought would only take one day, took three. 1071 00:56:48,867 --> 00:56:50,066 CARLITOS PAEZ: And for three days, 1072 00:56:50,166 --> 00:56:52,533 we saw them as little points up there on the mountain. 1073 00:57:01,100 --> 00:57:02,567 RICARDO PENA: Alberto was looking at a distance 1074 00:57:02,667 --> 00:57:06,100 and seeing a line thinking that could be a road. 1075 00:57:06,200 --> 00:57:08,767 And it was impossible for them to tell if it was or not. 1076 00:57:08,867 --> 00:57:11,533 The road is very interesting because Nando says 1077 00:57:11,633 --> 00:57:13,500 that the road doesn't exist. 1078 00:57:13,600 --> 00:57:14,800 ROBERTO CANESSA: But the road is there. 1079 00:57:14,900 --> 00:57:19,700 And I bet everything that I saw that road. 1080 00:57:19,800 --> 00:57:23,200 We actually know now that what he was looking at was the road. 1081 00:57:23,300 --> 00:57:26,600 Once I was there, I took a photograph. 1082 00:57:26,700 --> 00:57:29,000 RICARDO PENA: And I realized that we could actually 1083 00:57:29,100 --> 00:57:31,900 see the road that we use now from the East 1084 00:57:32,000 --> 00:57:33,700 to access this Valley. 1085 00:57:33,800 --> 00:57:37,367 But this is a very interesting because Although this was 1086 00:57:37,467 --> 00:57:44,734 the right answer at that moment was so much in a chance 1087 00:57:44,834 --> 00:57:46,500 in 1,000 that there was a road. 1088 00:57:46,600 --> 00:57:48,333 They were in a very tough situation. 1089 00:57:48,433 --> 00:57:51,100 They had already made a huge effort 1090 00:57:51,200 --> 00:57:53,100 to get that high on the mountain. 1091 00:57:53,200 --> 00:57:56,467 And Nando's still had the hope that looking over 1092 00:57:56,567 --> 00:57:59,233 the top of the mountain, he was going to see green valleys 1093 00:57:59,333 --> 00:58:00,333 and everything. 1094 00:58:04,633 --> 00:58:08,900 When I was drawn down, Nando would say let's keep going. 1095 00:58:09,000 --> 00:58:10,300 NANDO PARRADO: I would climb the mountain. 1096 00:58:10,400 --> 00:58:15,367 And I would see salvacion on the other side. 1097 00:58:15,467 --> 00:58:18,033 And when we climbed that first mountain, what 1098 00:58:18,133 --> 00:58:22,333 we saw to the other side really froze me. 1099 00:58:32,000 --> 00:58:33,500 I couldn't breathe. 1100 00:58:33,600 --> 00:58:34,834 I couldn't speak. 1101 00:58:34,934 --> 00:58:38,000 I couldn't even think because what we saw was horrible. 1102 00:58:38,100 --> 00:58:42,567 And still green valleys, we saw mountains and snow covered 1103 00:58:42,667 --> 00:58:47,533 peaks 360 degrees around us to the horizon all around us. 1104 00:58:52,367 --> 00:58:57,967 NANDO PARRADO: And I knew there that I was really dead. 1105 00:58:58,066 --> 00:59:01,000 I decided the way I was going to die. 1106 00:59:01,100 --> 00:59:04,100 There was absolutely no way we could survive 1107 00:59:04,200 --> 00:59:05,767 what we were looking at. 1108 00:59:05,867 --> 00:59:10,166 And I told Robert, look, there's no way we can go back. 1109 00:59:10,266 --> 00:59:12,333 The only ways forward will die. 1110 00:59:12,433 --> 00:59:14,500 But we'll die trying. 1111 00:59:14,600 --> 00:59:17,300 NANDO PARRADO: And you know, he looked at me and said, OK. 1112 00:59:17,400 --> 00:59:18,934 We have done so many things together. 1113 00:59:19,033 --> 00:59:20,600 Let's do one more. 1114 00:59:20,700 --> 00:59:21,767 Let's die together. 1115 00:59:41,600 --> 00:59:45,367 When the three of them Tintin and Nando and Roberto got 1116 00:59:45,467 --> 00:59:46,500 to the top of the mountain. 1117 00:59:46,600 --> 00:59:49,233 And so there weren't the green valleys of Chile 1118 00:59:49,333 --> 00:59:51,667 that had always supposed to be on the side of the mountain. 1119 00:59:51,767 --> 00:59:52,867 They were-- 1120 00:59:52,967 --> 00:59:53,900 PIERS RAUL READ: It was-- it was a terrible moment 1121 00:59:54,000 --> 00:59:54,900 and psychologically. 1122 00:59:55,000 --> 00:59:56,900 It was a terrible blow. 1123 00:59:57,000 --> 00:59:59,533 And again, it shows Nando's extraordinary sort 1124 00:59:59,633 --> 01:00:01,400 of psychological resilience. 1125 01:00:01,500 --> 01:00:04,200 That instead of being daunted, and depressed, 1126 01:00:04,300 --> 01:00:06,200 and giving up in despair, he just said right. 1127 01:00:06,300 --> 01:00:07,633 We're going to go on. 1128 01:00:07,734 --> 01:00:09,400 We're going to keep going West. 1129 01:00:09,500 --> 01:00:13,667 As it's been said that hard and tough and challenging 1130 01:00:13,767 --> 01:00:16,200 situations create character. 1131 01:00:16,300 --> 01:00:19,734 ED VIESTURS: I think they actually reveal character. 1132 01:00:19,834 --> 01:00:21,500 When you're put into a situation, 1133 01:00:21,600 --> 01:00:27,233 a desperate situation, all the things that you are and learned 1134 01:00:27,333 --> 01:00:28,967 come out. 1135 01:00:29,066 --> 01:00:30,667 Roberto and myself we got along very-- 1136 01:00:30,767 --> 01:00:31,967 very well together. 1137 01:00:32,066 --> 01:00:33,400 NANDO PARRADO: We were a fantastic team. 1138 01:00:33,500 --> 01:00:35,100 And I told her to look. 1139 01:00:35,200 --> 01:00:37,767 The three of us move very slowly. 1140 01:00:37,867 --> 01:00:40,734 And we said Antonio, please go back give us 1141 01:00:40,834 --> 01:00:41,934 whatever you have a food. 1142 01:00:42,033 --> 01:00:43,667 The two of us would go forward. 1143 01:00:43,767 --> 01:00:47,333 And tell the guys that will climb and trek to the West. 1144 01:00:55,266 --> 01:00:59,033 Tintin he was delighted he beetle back down the mountain 1145 01:00:59,133 --> 01:01:00,767 as quickly as he possibly could. 1146 01:01:00,867 --> 01:01:03,367 Because, at least, they felt safe in that plane. 1147 01:01:03,467 --> 01:01:05,200 I mean, you know they had survived and would 1148 01:01:05,300 --> 01:01:08,300 go on surviving. 1149 01:01:08,400 --> 01:01:10,266 CARLITOS PAEZ: After three days, we saw that one of them 1150 01:01:10,367 --> 01:01:11,066 came down. 1151 01:01:11,166 --> 01:01:12,700 And we went to meet him. 1152 01:01:12,800 --> 01:01:14,867 And it was Tintin. 1153 01:01:14,967 --> 01:01:17,266 When we got there, he told us instead of finding 1154 01:01:17,367 --> 01:01:21,066 the green valleys of Chile, they saw pathetic and disheartening 1155 01:01:21,166 --> 01:01:23,633 panorama. 1156 01:01:23,734 --> 01:01:25,734 But Nando and Roberto made the decision 1157 01:01:25,834 --> 01:01:29,066 to take teams food and his extra clothes. 1158 01:01:29,166 --> 01:01:31,600 And they sent him to the fuselage with a message 1159 01:01:31,700 --> 01:01:34,300 that the two of them would forge ahead. 1160 01:01:34,400 --> 01:01:37,066 And they wouldn't stop until they were dead. 1161 01:01:41,033 --> 01:01:44,467 RICARDO PENA: He saw two peaks that had no snow in them. 1162 01:01:44,567 --> 01:01:48,734 And behind those peaks, you can see no more peaks. 1163 01:01:48,834 --> 01:01:51,433 And you see the moisture of the Pacific Ocean. 1164 01:01:51,533 --> 01:01:52,767 When you stand there, and you look 1165 01:01:52,867 --> 01:01:58,200 at how far those peaks are, it's really brings it home. 1166 01:01:58,300 --> 01:02:00,433 What a desperate situation they were in. 1167 01:02:00,533 --> 01:02:03,200 My need to get out was completely unique to me 1168 01:02:03,300 --> 01:02:06,467 because there would be a time when we didn't have more 1169 01:02:06,567 --> 01:02:09,667 bodies, except the bodies of my mother and my sister. 1170 01:02:09,767 --> 01:02:11,433 NANDO PARRADO: And I wouldn't even 1171 01:02:11,533 --> 01:02:14,100 like to think to get to that moment 1172 01:02:14,200 --> 01:02:17,633 when we would have to use their corpses to survive. 1173 01:02:17,734 --> 01:02:20,667 I had to get out of there. 1174 01:02:20,767 --> 01:02:22,467 And we started down the mountains. 1175 01:02:22,567 --> 01:02:23,467 And that it. 1176 01:02:23,567 --> 01:02:26,700 It was two guys deciding to go forward. 1177 01:02:26,800 --> 01:02:28,166 ROBERTO CANESSA: And I said let's go for it. 1178 01:02:28,266 --> 01:02:29,433 Let's forget about it. 1179 01:02:29,533 --> 01:02:34,367 And-- and I knew it was-- this was a no return way. 1180 01:02:34,467 --> 01:02:37,467 But every step is a step. 1181 01:02:37,567 --> 01:02:41,166 And if we had gone back to-- to the plane, 1182 01:02:41,266 --> 01:02:42,133 there were no chances. 1183 01:02:46,066 --> 01:02:48,100 RICARDO PENA: I wanted to see what they were up against, 1184 01:02:48,200 --> 01:02:49,400 what they had gone through. 1185 01:02:49,500 --> 01:02:50,533 Just how challenging was. 1186 01:02:50,633 --> 01:02:51,867 Especially for a mountaineer, it would 1187 01:02:51,967 --> 01:02:54,600 be I was fascinated by it. 1188 01:02:54,700 --> 01:02:59,133 RICARDO PENA: So in December 2005, we retrace escape route. 1189 01:02:59,233 --> 01:03:02,900 We chose the same days that the survivors had gone. 1190 01:03:03,000 --> 01:03:05,633 We wanted to experience the same snow conditions, recreate 1191 01:03:05,734 --> 01:03:07,567 as much as possible the challenge 1192 01:03:07,667 --> 01:03:10,767 that they had without, of course, killing ourselves. 1193 01:03:10,867 --> 01:03:12,367 So we brought equipment. 1194 01:03:12,467 --> 01:03:14,400 We came prepared. 1195 01:03:14,500 --> 01:03:16,633 RICARDO PENA: Our plan was to try to set up similar camps 1196 01:03:16,734 --> 01:03:19,133 to what they had done as closely as possible. 1197 01:03:19,233 --> 01:03:22,233 But once we were on the slope, the slope 1198 01:03:22,333 --> 01:03:24,834 was so avalanche prone that whole slope could go. 1199 01:03:24,934 --> 01:03:26,633 You could fall to your death. 1200 01:03:26,734 --> 01:03:29,667 And so we-- I didn't like it. 1201 01:03:29,767 --> 01:03:31,200 And I thought the only thing to do here 1202 01:03:31,300 --> 01:03:33,700 is just push and go all the way to the top in one day. 1203 01:03:33,800 --> 01:03:35,867 And once you hit the ridge, you're safe around altitude. 1204 01:03:35,967 --> 01:03:36,700 You're safe. 1205 01:03:36,800 --> 01:03:39,000 Nothing is going to fall on you. 1206 01:03:39,100 --> 01:03:40,200 And so it was a brutal day. 1207 01:03:40,300 --> 01:03:42,100 It was a really hard day. 1208 01:03:42,200 --> 01:03:44,600 We-- we pushed really hard and we went all the way up 1209 01:03:44,700 --> 01:03:48,367 basically covering the distance that Robert took cover in three 1210 01:03:48,467 --> 01:03:49,600 days. 1211 01:03:49,700 --> 01:03:51,467 RICARDO PENA: It was exhausting. 1212 01:03:51,567 --> 01:03:53,000 When you're in the mountains, it's 1213 01:03:53,100 --> 01:03:56,900 much harder to judge distances, and sizes. 1214 01:03:57,000 --> 01:04:02,233 And the valleys they climb down on are just immense. 1215 01:04:02,333 --> 01:04:05,166 They really-- there's a picture that we took with where you see 1216 01:04:05,266 --> 01:04:06,767 those little dots. 1217 01:04:06,867 --> 01:04:09,400 And just a black little speck there. 1218 01:04:09,500 --> 01:04:12,734 And it's actually Mario one of our expedition members. 1219 01:04:12,834 --> 01:04:14,133 And once you see the little dug, 1220 01:04:14,233 --> 01:04:17,200 you realize the size of the valley you're looking at. 1221 01:04:17,300 --> 01:04:20,934 It's very, very huge mountains all around you. 1222 01:04:21,033 --> 01:04:23,834 It's really a very humbling experience. 1223 01:04:23,934 --> 01:04:28,133 What I remember of the 10 days with Roberto it's-- 1224 01:04:28,233 --> 01:04:32,767 it's like blurred the images of continuous and strenuous 1225 01:04:32,867 --> 01:04:33,900 effort. 1226 01:04:34,000 --> 01:04:35,100 NANDO PARRADO: It was so huge. 1227 01:04:35,200 --> 01:04:36,800 You know, the mountains are so huge. 1228 01:04:36,900 --> 01:04:40,900 That it looks like you don't make any progress. 1229 01:04:41,000 --> 01:04:43,333 You know, and you think OK I'll get there. 1230 01:04:43,433 --> 01:04:46,166 I'll get there in two or three hours or five hours. 1231 01:04:46,266 --> 01:04:48,300 But so huge that you never get there. 1232 01:04:48,400 --> 01:04:49,667 You know. 1233 01:04:49,767 --> 01:04:54,967 The only way you go forward is because you can't go back. 1234 01:04:55,066 --> 01:04:58,433 ED VIESTURS: Nando and Roberto as they journeyed out 1235 01:04:58,533 --> 01:05:03,600 for those 10 long arduous days, that was an amazing feat. 1236 01:05:03,700 --> 01:05:06,633 And you truly have to think about what they suffered 1237 01:05:06,734 --> 01:05:07,433 through. 1238 01:05:07,533 --> 01:05:08,834 They can't explain that. 1239 01:05:08,934 --> 01:05:12,066 ED VIESTURS: I think I have an idea of what they went through. 1240 01:05:12,166 --> 01:05:14,300 But it's still quite an amazing feat. 1241 01:05:14,400 --> 01:05:15,633 RICARDO PENA: I think it was Roberto 1242 01:05:15,734 --> 01:05:19,166 that set one foot on the ground, and another foot on snow. 1243 01:05:19,266 --> 01:05:21,033 This is the line between life and death. 1244 01:05:21,133 --> 01:05:22,200 I'm going to make it. 1245 01:05:22,300 --> 01:05:24,266 I'm not going to die there like everybody else. 1246 01:05:24,367 --> 01:05:25,500 I'm going to live. 1247 01:05:25,600 --> 01:05:28,934 That line, where the ice finished 1248 01:05:29,033 --> 01:05:32,800 for me was the line between life and death for myself. 1249 01:05:32,900 --> 01:05:34,166 Yeah. 1250 01:05:34,266 --> 01:05:38,300 It was like crossing a very thin line jumping from one side 1251 01:05:38,400 --> 01:05:39,367 to another one. 1252 01:05:39,467 --> 01:05:41,500 We were very happy. 1253 01:05:41,600 --> 01:05:44,200 Now, that the temperatures are warmer, now that they're not 1254 01:05:44,300 --> 01:05:46,467 in such a danger to freezing, now, 1255 01:05:46,567 --> 01:05:50,633 they don't have refrigeration for their food. 1256 01:05:50,734 --> 01:05:52,533 And so the food starts going right. 1257 01:05:52,633 --> 01:05:54,367 And that's a new problem. 1258 01:06:25,467 --> 01:06:26,867 ROBERTO CANESSA: The next day, we were very-- 1259 01:06:26,967 --> 01:06:28,900 very happy to see things changing 1260 01:06:29,000 --> 01:06:32,800 from the normal atmosphere of snow white rock and-- 1261 01:06:32,900 --> 01:06:35,200 and then we would begin hearing water that was 1262 01:06:35,300 --> 01:06:37,800 pouring out and hearing was-- 1263 01:06:37,900 --> 01:06:40,734 was going back to normal life. 1264 01:06:40,834 --> 01:06:45,967 And then we saw this river was growing out of the ice. 1265 01:06:46,066 --> 01:06:46,767 And I see-- 1266 01:06:46,867 --> 01:06:49,467 I saw a green spot there. 1267 01:06:49,567 --> 01:06:52,300 NANDO PARRADO: I had a grasp of life. 1268 01:06:52,400 --> 01:06:55,500 First, when we saw that there was some civilization here, 1269 01:06:55,600 --> 01:06:57,633 you know, we saw a cow. 1270 01:06:57,734 --> 01:07:00,700 So that it must be a human being nearby. 1271 01:07:00,800 --> 01:07:03,734 RICARDO PENA: I could see how significant that was for them. 1272 01:07:03,834 --> 01:07:06,700 We start seeing plants, we start seeing a little bit of flowers. 1273 01:07:06,800 --> 01:07:07,934 I mean, living things. 1274 01:07:08,033 --> 01:07:09,734 And you smell these flowers. 1275 01:07:09,834 --> 01:07:11,767 You haven't smelled anything like that in so many days. 1276 01:07:11,867 --> 01:07:13,667 RICARDO PENA: And little grass. 1277 01:07:13,767 --> 01:07:15,133 You can smell it, and it's like wow. 1278 01:07:15,233 --> 01:07:16,433 It's just. 1279 01:07:16,533 --> 01:07:18,467 And they talk about starting to find their first signs 1280 01:07:18,567 --> 01:07:19,600 of civilization. 1281 01:07:19,700 --> 01:07:22,433 And they had a big debate about the weather. 1282 01:07:22,533 --> 01:07:24,834 If somebody threw it from a plane or something, 1283 01:07:24,934 --> 01:07:26,934 and to at them. 1284 01:07:27,033 --> 01:07:29,133 You can't open a window in a plane. 1285 01:07:29,233 --> 01:07:31,367 Obviously, didn't come from a plane. 1286 01:07:31,467 --> 01:07:34,367 Like this it's a sign of human-- 1287 01:07:34,467 --> 01:07:35,600 humans being here. 1288 01:07:35,700 --> 01:07:37,400 I was in a five star hotel. 1289 01:07:37,500 --> 01:07:38,200 I had water. 1290 01:07:38,300 --> 01:07:39,500 I had grass to eat. 1291 01:07:39,600 --> 01:07:42,300 ROBERTO CANESSA: And I realized with what simple things 1292 01:07:42,400 --> 01:07:46,900 we need to be happy and how we demand lots more than what we 1293 01:07:47,000 --> 01:07:47,800 need in life. 1294 01:08:14,100 --> 01:08:19,233 The precise moment, I really knew 1295 01:08:19,333 --> 01:08:21,333 that I was going to survive. 1296 01:08:21,433 --> 01:08:24,567 I was looking towards the West and the West 1297 01:08:24,667 --> 01:08:27,633 looking towards the North and-- 1298 01:08:27,734 --> 01:08:30,734 NANDO PARRADO: Look, Nando, a man on a horse. 1299 01:08:30,834 --> 01:08:33,800 And I looked and instantly I saw him. 1300 01:08:50,367 --> 01:08:51,533 We started to shout. 1301 01:08:51,633 --> 01:08:52,600 Both of us 1302 01:08:52,700 --> 01:08:53,934 NANDO PARRADO: Somebody is looking at us. 1303 01:08:54,033 --> 01:08:55,000 It's a human being. 1304 01:08:55,100 --> 01:08:56,367 We couldn't communicate. 1305 01:08:56,467 --> 01:08:58,667 But he looked at us because obviously he couldn't believe 1306 01:08:58,767 --> 01:09:01,033 that there were two guys so high up in the mountains. 1307 01:09:01,133 --> 01:09:03,066 RICARDO PENA: It was very difficult to communicate 1308 01:09:03,166 --> 01:09:07,600 across this river because of the noise of this raging river. 1309 01:09:07,700 --> 01:09:08,667 You can't cross it. 1310 01:09:08,767 --> 01:09:10,633 There's just no way and no question. 1311 01:09:10,734 --> 01:09:12,033 If you get down, it'll take you. 1312 01:09:12,133 --> 01:09:12,834 It'll take you down. 1313 01:09:12,934 --> 01:09:14,667 You'll drown. 1314 01:09:14,767 --> 01:09:17,367 NANDO PARRADO: The night came and we lost sight of him. 1315 01:09:17,467 --> 01:09:19,300 And we spent all that night with Roberto. 1316 01:09:19,400 --> 01:09:23,300 I remember talking to say, OK, look, we are near civilization. 1317 01:09:23,400 --> 01:09:27,000 So maybe tomorrow we'll get help, you know. 1318 01:09:27,100 --> 01:09:28,266 I feel so happy now. 1319 01:09:28,367 --> 01:09:29,066 How do you feel? 1320 01:09:29,166 --> 01:09:30,734 You know, all those things. 1321 01:09:30,834 --> 01:09:33,500 And we have to get help from the other guys. 1322 01:09:33,600 --> 01:09:37,734 NANDO PARRADO: And the next morning at around 5:36, we 1323 01:09:37,834 --> 01:09:41,333 saw small fire on the shore at the edge of the river 1324 01:09:41,433 --> 01:09:43,200 on the other side of the river. 1325 01:09:43,300 --> 01:09:44,600 I was stronger than water. 1326 01:09:44,700 --> 01:09:46,066 So I went down. 1327 01:09:46,166 --> 01:09:48,367 The sound of the water was so high 1328 01:09:48,467 --> 01:09:50,667 that we couldn't understand each other. 1329 01:09:50,767 --> 01:09:55,100 And this guy with great intelligence and common sense, 1330 01:09:55,200 --> 01:09:58,333 he got a small stone, put that piece of paper around it, 1331 01:09:58,433 --> 01:10:02,467 tied it with a string, pencil, and threw it across the river. 1332 01:10:02,567 --> 01:10:07,233 And that's when I wrote that message, you know. 1333 01:10:07,333 --> 01:10:08,533 NANDO PARRADO: I come from a plane that 1334 01:10:08,633 --> 01:10:10,266 fell into the mountains. 1335 01:10:10,367 --> 01:10:12,000 I'm Uruguayan. 1336 01:10:12,100 --> 01:10:14,266 We have been walking for 10 days. 1337 01:10:14,367 --> 01:10:16,967 I have a friend up there who is injured. 1338 01:10:17,066 --> 01:10:20,467 In the plane, there are still 14 injured people. 1339 01:10:20,567 --> 01:10:22,100 We have to get out of here quickly, 1340 01:10:22,200 --> 01:10:24,233 and we do not know how. 1341 01:10:24,333 --> 01:10:25,900 NANDO PARRADO: We don't have any food. 1342 01:10:26,000 --> 01:10:27,266 We are weak. 1343 01:10:27,367 --> 01:10:29,233 When are you going to come and fetch us? 1344 01:10:29,333 --> 01:10:30,266 Please. 1345 01:10:30,367 --> 01:10:31,900 We can't even walk. 1346 01:10:32,000 --> 01:10:33,400 Where are we? 1347 01:10:33,500 --> 01:10:35,633 For me, the most important part is the last sentence, 1348 01:10:35,734 --> 01:10:36,600 where are we? 1349 01:10:36,700 --> 01:10:38,433 We didn't have a clue where we were. 1350 01:10:38,533 --> 01:10:41,266 We knew we were in the Andes in South America. 1351 01:10:41,367 --> 01:10:43,066 But that was our reference point. 1352 01:10:43,166 --> 01:10:43,967 Where are we? 1353 01:10:51,600 --> 01:10:54,834 NANDO PARRADO: I throw it back to him. 1354 01:10:54,934 --> 01:10:56,834 He reads it. 1355 01:10:56,934 --> 01:10:58,233 He looks at me. 1356 01:10:58,333 --> 01:10:59,467 Reads it again. 1357 01:10:59,567 --> 01:11:00,600 He say OK. 1358 01:11:00,700 --> 01:11:01,400 Wait. 1359 01:11:01,500 --> 01:11:03,300 Wait. 1360 01:11:03,400 --> 01:11:05,767 And he got on his horse. 1361 01:11:05,867 --> 01:11:09,600 But before he threw me a little piece of bread and cheese 1362 01:11:09,700 --> 01:11:11,266 with I brought Roberto. 1363 01:11:21,600 --> 01:11:22,734 NANDO PARRADO: It took him 10 hours 1364 01:11:22,834 --> 01:11:25,700 to go by horseback to the nearest civilization. 1365 01:11:25,800 --> 01:11:28,667 When he got there, he got five or six military men 1366 01:11:28,767 --> 01:11:32,266 on horseback from a military post and he climbed back. 1367 01:11:32,367 --> 01:11:35,734 NANDO PARRADO: And when they come back, we were so happy, 1368 01:11:35,834 --> 01:11:36,934 you know. 1369 01:11:37,033 --> 01:11:40,000 You are leaving behind horror. 1370 01:11:40,100 --> 01:11:42,767 You are leaving behind death. 1371 01:11:42,867 --> 01:11:46,500 And you embrace life again. 1372 01:12:04,934 --> 01:12:09,033 NANDO PARRADO: And suddenly, reality started to hit on us, 1373 01:12:09,133 --> 01:12:10,233 you know. 1374 01:12:10,333 --> 01:12:16,166 When we saw that journalist and news man from-- 1375 01:12:16,266 --> 01:12:19,433 from nowhere started to appear in the middle of the mountains. 1376 01:12:59,367 --> 01:13:02,734 Nando lost his family. 1377 01:13:02,834 --> 01:13:04,567 ROBERTO CANESSA: And I think this was very devastating 1378 01:13:04,667 --> 01:13:05,467 for him. 1379 01:13:08,600 --> 01:13:09,700 They gave us some food. 1380 01:13:09,800 --> 01:13:12,433 They gave us warm soup. 1381 01:13:12,533 --> 01:13:14,100 I remember things like that. 1382 01:13:14,200 --> 01:13:16,066 And then they display them up and say, 1383 01:13:16,166 --> 01:13:17,300 where are the other guys? 1384 01:13:17,400 --> 01:13:18,700 NANDO PARRADO: And I draw on the map. 1385 01:13:18,800 --> 01:13:21,166 And they said that's Argentina. 1386 01:13:21,266 --> 01:13:22,300 That's it. 1387 01:13:22,400 --> 01:13:25,967 You couldn't have crossed the Andes on foot. 1388 01:13:26,066 --> 01:13:28,433 And I said, look, I don't know if that's Argentina. 1389 01:13:28,533 --> 01:13:30,467 But I know that they are there. 1390 01:13:30,567 --> 01:13:33,767 The distance they covered from where the fuselage was to lose 1391 01:13:33,867 --> 01:13:38,433 my tennis was about 37 miles. 1392 01:13:38,533 --> 01:13:41,633 RICARDO PENA: We measured it with GPS. 1393 01:13:41,734 --> 01:13:44,166 The problem with that number is that these are really 1394 01:13:44,266 --> 01:13:46,600 long miles. 1395 01:13:46,700 --> 01:13:50,033 What Nando and Roberto did still kind of blows me away 1396 01:13:50,133 --> 01:13:53,633 with literally no training, no skills, 1397 01:13:53,734 --> 01:13:57,100 no knowledge of what they were doing, and no equipment 1398 01:13:57,200 --> 01:13:58,867 somehow they survived. 1399 01:13:58,967 --> 01:14:02,166 I have to retest to the expedition. 1400 01:14:02,266 --> 01:14:05,233 I think is just a really inspiring example 1401 01:14:05,333 --> 01:14:06,934 of the human spirit of what humans 1402 01:14:07,033 --> 01:14:08,667 can do in extreme conditions when there's 1403 01:14:08,767 --> 01:14:09,633 that strong willed. 1404 01:14:20,667 --> 01:14:23,200 We heard the Uruguayan Ambassador on the radio 1405 01:14:23,300 --> 01:14:26,300 that it was official that Canessa and Parado had 1406 01:14:26,400 --> 01:14:27,467 appeared. 1407 01:14:27,567 --> 01:14:29,367 Imagine that moment. 1408 01:14:29,467 --> 01:14:33,500 What it was like to hear the names Parrado and Canessa? 1409 01:14:33,600 --> 01:14:34,900 CARLITOS PAEZ: Because to hear these names 1410 01:14:35,000 --> 01:14:38,567 was the end of our story, the end of our pain, 1411 01:14:38,667 --> 01:14:40,533 the end of our fight. 1412 01:14:40,633 --> 01:14:43,333 It was the beginning of our freedom. 1413 01:14:43,433 --> 01:14:45,900 That was what we had fought for. 1414 01:14:46,000 --> 01:14:48,300 Imagine what that was like. 1415 01:14:48,400 --> 01:14:50,800 We were like crazy men around the radio. 1416 01:14:50,900 --> 01:14:54,033 It still gives me goose bumps just thinking about it today. 1417 01:14:54,133 --> 01:14:57,900 Hundreds of times and 37 years after it 1418 01:14:58,000 --> 01:15:03,767 happened still it makes me emotional. 1419 01:15:03,867 --> 01:15:06,333 NANDO PARRADO: And that's when they call for helicopters. 1420 01:15:06,433 --> 01:15:08,667 And when the helicopters arrive, the same happened. 1421 01:15:08,767 --> 01:15:09,867 What are the guys? 1422 01:15:09,967 --> 01:15:12,867 And I draw the semicircle. 1423 01:15:12,967 --> 01:15:15,100 And the pilot look at me and say, look, I will never 1424 01:15:15,200 --> 01:15:15,900 find them. 1425 01:15:16,000 --> 01:15:18,266 You have to come with us. 1426 01:15:18,367 --> 01:15:21,166 So it took me, put me on the helicopter, 1427 01:15:21,266 --> 01:15:25,400 strapped me with seat belts, headphones, and microphone. 1428 01:15:25,500 --> 01:15:26,367 And we took off. 1429 01:15:30,033 --> 01:15:31,367 NANDO PARRADO: The pilot kept telling to me 1430 01:15:31,467 --> 01:15:32,500 I don't have enough power. 1431 01:15:32,600 --> 01:15:35,033 I'm too high for this type of helicopter. 1432 01:15:35,133 --> 01:15:36,166 Are you sure? 1433 01:15:36,266 --> 01:15:37,400 Are you sure you're not lost? 1434 01:15:37,500 --> 01:15:38,200 No, I'm not lost. 1435 01:15:38,300 --> 01:15:39,467 I know where I am. 1436 01:15:39,567 --> 01:15:42,166 I remember the helicopter shaking and the plexiglass 1437 01:15:42,266 --> 01:15:44,166 from the front vibrating. 1438 01:15:44,266 --> 01:15:46,233 Looked like it was coming off the rear. 1439 01:15:46,333 --> 01:15:47,834 NANDO PARRADO: It's the engine of the helicopter 1440 01:15:47,934 --> 01:15:50,400 was at full power. 1441 01:15:50,500 --> 01:15:53,166 And finally, we crossed over to the mountains. 1442 01:15:53,266 --> 01:15:56,400 And then the pilot threw the helicopter down and said, look, 1443 01:15:56,500 --> 01:15:57,200 it's there. 1444 01:15:57,300 --> 01:15:58,166 It's there. 1445 01:15:58,266 --> 01:16:00,433 And the fuselage was white and white. 1446 01:16:00,533 --> 01:16:03,333 So until we were about 300 yards away. 1447 01:16:03,433 --> 01:16:06,166 He couldn't see. 1448 01:16:06,266 --> 01:16:07,000 I see. 1449 01:16:07,100 --> 01:16:07,900 I see. 1450 01:17:06,467 --> 01:17:09,433 NANDO PARRADO: Two of my friends jumped into a helicopter. 1451 01:17:09,533 --> 01:17:13,700 And I grabbed Daniel the third one with my hands. 1452 01:17:13,800 --> 01:17:15,867 And the pilot took off. 1453 01:17:15,967 --> 01:17:16,700 How many do we have? 1454 01:17:16,800 --> 01:17:18,867 And I said three, three. 1455 01:17:18,967 --> 01:17:20,033 I said close the doors. 1456 01:17:20,133 --> 01:17:20,967 Close the door. 1457 01:17:21,066 --> 01:17:22,367 So I went there I closed the door. 1458 01:17:22,467 --> 01:17:23,834 Closed the other door. 1459 01:17:23,934 --> 01:17:26,533 I said give me a break, please. 1460 01:17:26,633 --> 01:17:30,700 NANDO PARRADO: And this friends of mine embraced me. 1461 01:17:30,800 --> 01:17:32,533 And they were crying and shouting so happy. 1462 01:17:32,633 --> 01:17:34,233 You know, I remember those smiles. 1463 01:17:34,333 --> 01:17:35,500 So big. 1464 01:17:35,600 --> 01:17:39,400 And there was a wonderful moment, you know. 1465 01:17:50,767 --> 01:17:53,934 My father called me and he was crying. 1466 01:17:54,033 --> 01:17:58,900 And he said Nando is alive, Nando is alive. 1467 01:17:59,000 --> 01:18:02,867 He was sitting in my bed and hugging me. 1468 01:18:02,967 --> 01:18:05,533 There was my father crying. 1469 01:18:05,633 --> 01:18:08,200 And he was saying you were right. 1470 01:18:08,300 --> 01:18:10,133 He's alive. 1471 01:18:10,233 --> 01:18:13,233 So that-- that was the way I knew that Roberto and Nando 1472 01:18:13,333 --> 01:18:15,600 had appeared. 1473 01:18:15,700 --> 01:18:17,533 They were asking in Uruguay to give forth 1474 01:18:17,633 --> 01:18:19,066 a list of the survivors. 1475 01:18:19,166 --> 01:18:20,734 CARLOS PAEZ: If it's for Uruguay then I 1476 01:18:20,834 --> 01:18:22,133 can give it to the country. 1477 01:18:22,233 --> 01:18:24,700 And then I went about uncovering the names of the boys. 1478 01:18:24,800 --> 01:18:29,300 And I started Fernando Parrado, Antonio Vizentine. 1479 01:18:33,533 --> 01:18:35,633 Until I came to the name of my son. 1480 01:18:39,834 --> 01:18:42,600 And it's evident that I had to hold the phone down because 1481 01:18:42,700 --> 01:18:45,433 of all the force of that name and the surprise 1482 01:18:45,533 --> 01:18:49,734 in the marvelous feeling of knowing that my son was alive. 1483 01:18:49,834 --> 01:18:55,033 I go to the door of this old hospital. 1484 01:18:55,133 --> 01:18:58,266 And I was shouting that I wanted to go in. 1485 01:18:58,367 --> 01:19:00,633 Nobody could stop me. 1486 01:19:00,734 --> 01:19:05,333 And he was very skinny, but so beautiful. 1487 01:19:05,433 --> 01:19:07,533 And he held my father, and his arms, 1488 01:19:07,633 --> 01:19:09,433 and he pulled him out of the floor. 1489 01:19:09,533 --> 01:19:10,333 He was strong. 1490 01:19:20,066 --> 01:19:21,934 NANDO PARRADO: People ask me at that moment. 1491 01:19:22,033 --> 01:19:24,834 Did you felt guilt because you were alive? 1492 01:19:24,934 --> 01:19:27,233 I always said we celebrated life. 1493 01:19:27,333 --> 01:19:28,800 You know, we didn't have any guilt. 1494 01:19:28,900 --> 01:19:29,600 What? 1495 01:19:29,700 --> 01:19:30,800 What kind of guilt? 1496 01:19:42,734 --> 01:19:44,333 10 weeks ago, an airplane with 45 people aboard. 1497 01:19:44,433 --> 01:19:45,867 Most of the members of a rugby team from Uruguay 1498 01:19:45,967 --> 01:19:48,133 crashed on a flight from Montevideo Uruguay 1499 01:19:48,233 --> 01:19:49,367 to Santiago, Chile. 1500 01:19:49,467 --> 01:19:50,400 REPORTER: There was a search. 1501 01:19:50,500 --> 01:19:52,500 But it was abandoned several weeks ago. 1502 01:19:52,600 --> 01:19:54,734 Those mountains are a graveyard for airplanes. 1503 01:19:54,834 --> 01:19:56,433 There 18,000 feet high. 1504 01:19:56,533 --> 01:19:59,166 Their icy cold and continuing snow makes visibility 1505 01:19:59,266 --> 01:20:00,800 there just about zero. 1506 01:20:00,900 --> 01:20:03,633 And all those aboard were given up for dead. 1507 01:20:03,734 --> 01:20:06,066 And then today, the incredible happened. 1508 01:20:06,166 --> 01:20:08,500 Two starving, exhausted survivors 1509 01:20:08,600 --> 01:20:12,033 would hike for 10 days on their way to civilization. 1510 01:20:20,400 --> 01:20:25,133 I think that the biggest psychiatrist in the world 1511 01:20:25,233 --> 01:20:30,066 would never find an answer to the human behavior over there. 1512 01:20:30,166 --> 01:20:31,500 Would I have done the same thing? 1513 01:20:31,600 --> 01:20:33,633 I think I mean, when it came out in America, 1514 01:20:33,734 --> 01:20:36,900 everyone in New York was saying how could I have behaved if I'd 1515 01:20:37,000 --> 01:20:38,867 been in that situation? 1516 01:20:38,967 --> 01:20:41,800 In Spain, for instance, the first press releases 1517 01:20:41,900 --> 01:20:45,967 had titles such as the cannibals have returned. 1518 01:20:46,066 --> 01:20:48,133 NANDO PARRADO: We had survive on the flesh of our friends. 1519 01:20:48,233 --> 01:20:52,200 And we didn't want to hurt any feelings from the families, 1520 01:20:52,300 --> 01:20:54,367 which were our families. 1521 01:20:54,467 --> 01:20:57,967 PIERS RAUL READ: These survivors in the most appalling 1522 01:20:58,066 --> 01:21:01,033 conditions didn't turn into savages. 1523 01:21:01,133 --> 01:21:03,133 They sustained one another. 1524 01:21:03,233 --> 01:21:06,066 They kept their faith in God. 1525 01:21:06,166 --> 01:21:09,700 And that God would-- would bring some of them out of it. 1526 01:21:09,800 --> 01:21:11,266 I think it helped them enormously. 1527 01:21:11,367 --> 01:21:14,867 That when they were in Chile still in Chile, and in hospital 1528 01:21:14,967 --> 01:21:18,500 were being cared for, a priest came by and said 1529 01:21:18,600 --> 01:21:20,033 you did the right thing. 1530 01:21:20,133 --> 01:21:21,500 And that the Catholic Church immediately 1531 01:21:21,600 --> 01:21:24,100 said they did the right thing. 1532 01:21:24,200 --> 01:21:26,467 The survivors had decided at this point 1533 01:21:26,567 --> 01:21:28,233 that they wanted a book to be written. 1534 01:21:28,333 --> 01:21:32,133 And they formed a committee to choose 1535 01:21:32,233 --> 01:21:33,667 the publisher and the author. 1536 01:21:33,767 --> 01:21:38,467 They were very afraid of what kind of book would be written. 1537 01:21:38,567 --> 01:21:39,900 PIERS RAUL READ: Inevitably the truth 1538 01:21:40,000 --> 01:21:42,433 showed that some of the survivors 1539 01:21:42,533 --> 01:21:44,567 had performed in a heroic manner. 1540 01:21:44,667 --> 01:21:47,100 And others in a less heroic manner. 1541 01:21:47,200 --> 01:21:49,967 PIERS RAUL READ: But I felt that there was no point in writing 1542 01:21:50,066 --> 01:21:52,433 a book unless you were going to tell the truth. 1543 01:21:52,533 --> 01:21:54,200 The picture of none of it builds up 1544 01:21:54,300 --> 01:21:56,700 in the book as some unexceptional 1545 01:21:56,800 --> 01:22:00,600 and in the end the person who saved them all comes 1546 01:22:00,700 --> 01:22:01,800 from the other characters. 1547 01:22:01,900 --> 01:22:03,600 It doesn't come from Nando himself. 1548 01:22:03,700 --> 01:22:04,934 ROBERTO CANESSA: It's very strange 1549 01:22:05,033 --> 01:22:09,000 because we came out of the mountain with the same dreams. 1550 01:22:09,100 --> 01:22:11,700 I had my house, my family, everything. 1551 01:22:11,800 --> 01:22:15,834 And where he went to his house, 1552 01:22:15,934 --> 01:22:19,500 his pictures were at the fireplace with that members 1553 01:22:19,600 --> 01:22:21,400 of his family. 1554 01:22:21,500 --> 01:22:23,767 NANDO PARRADO: My father being very pragmatic 1555 01:22:23,867 --> 01:22:25,667 said he's not coming back. 1556 01:22:25,767 --> 01:22:27,900 So he gave away my clothes to people 1557 01:22:28,000 --> 01:22:30,800 and he sold my motorcycle. 1558 01:22:30,900 --> 01:22:35,934 And he went into a very difficult mental state. 1559 01:22:36,033 --> 01:22:39,900 He loved my mother and my sister very-- 1560 01:22:40,000 --> 01:22:41,300 very much. 1561 01:22:41,400 --> 01:22:45,233 He cried for them to the end of his life. 1562 01:22:45,333 --> 01:22:48,233 ROBERTO CANESSA: Nando tried to follow the normal dreams 1563 01:22:48,333 --> 01:22:49,133 of a young guy. 1564 01:22:49,233 --> 01:22:53,200 And here he was completely lost. 1565 01:22:53,300 --> 01:22:56,033 He-- he didn't know what to do, where to go. 1566 01:22:56,133 --> 01:23:00,233 And so I don't know if he was tougher when he was out 1567 01:23:00,333 --> 01:23:06,400 of the mountain or when he was up there in the mountains. 1568 01:23:06,500 --> 01:23:09,266 The Andes made him stronger because he 1569 01:23:09,367 --> 01:23:12,000 lost his mother and his sister. 1570 01:23:12,100 --> 01:23:15,300 And later, afterwards, he continued 1571 01:23:15,400 --> 01:23:18,233 with such an amazing force of will 1572 01:23:18,333 --> 01:23:25,200 that really isn't able to be expressed or understood. 1573 01:23:25,300 --> 01:23:27,367 NANDO PARRADO: When I came back from the Andes, I said look. 1574 01:23:27,467 --> 01:23:30,133 What was the most important thing in your life before that? 1575 01:23:30,233 --> 01:23:31,934 Before the plane crash, my father 1576 01:23:32,033 --> 01:23:35,300 was the President of the Uruguay racing drivers association. 1577 01:23:35,400 --> 01:23:38,166 So he took me to the races since I was very young. 1578 01:23:38,266 --> 01:23:41,100 NANDO PARRADO: So I love the sound the cars, the racing. 1579 01:23:41,200 --> 01:23:42,266 And I wanted to race. 1580 01:23:42,367 --> 01:23:44,734 So I started racing because I thought 1581 01:23:44,834 --> 01:23:45,934 it was important for me. 1582 01:23:46,033 --> 01:23:48,667 It has nothing to do with the danger with fear. 1583 01:23:48,767 --> 01:23:49,867 No. 1584 01:23:49,967 --> 01:23:56,567 It has to do with what I felt I should do in life. 1585 01:23:56,667 --> 01:23:59,700 I know I'm going to face maybe some dangers today. 1586 01:23:59,800 --> 01:24:04,367 But I don't look back and say, well, I had so much fear. 1587 01:24:04,467 --> 01:24:06,567 I want to have fear anymore. 1588 01:24:06,667 --> 01:24:09,367 The main reason in my will of going out of there 1589 01:24:09,467 --> 01:24:14,000 was to see my family and my father again. 1590 01:24:14,100 --> 01:24:17,333 I thought that naming the highest mountain we climbed 1591 01:24:17,433 --> 01:24:22,033 after his name I was kind of a gift to him. 1592 01:24:22,133 --> 01:24:25,000 Even though he's gone through this tragic event, 1593 01:24:25,100 --> 01:24:27,300 and lost his mother, and his sister, 1594 01:24:27,400 --> 01:24:30,033 you know, he decided that rather than grieve 1595 01:24:30,133 --> 01:24:33,734 and completely shut down, why not revel in life? 1596 01:24:33,834 --> 01:24:36,834 Why not revel in the fact that I survived this? 1597 01:24:36,934 --> 01:24:39,000 ED VIESTURS: And if anything I think he kicked it up a notch 1598 01:24:39,100 --> 01:24:41,967 and said, I'm going to take advantage of this life I have 1599 01:24:42,066 --> 01:24:45,867 and do the things I love rather than not do anything at all. 1600 01:24:45,967 --> 01:24:49,867 And through cars, I found a beautiful girl. 1601 01:24:49,967 --> 01:24:51,400 NANDO PARRADO: I married her. 1602 01:24:51,500 --> 01:24:53,467 We have been married for more than 30 years. 1603 01:24:53,567 --> 01:24:59,667 So I blessed the moment I decided I had to race cars. 1604 01:24:59,767 --> 01:25:03,200 Two years ago, we all went to the crash site together. 1605 01:25:03,300 --> 01:25:06,367 VERONIQUE PARRADO: It was an incredible experience. 1606 01:25:06,467 --> 01:25:08,734 And I think that in some sense, it 1607 01:25:08,834 --> 01:25:12,967 was a way for him to show his daughters where they were born. 1608 01:25:13,066 --> 01:25:18,133 Because had Nando not walked out, not done what he did, 1609 01:25:18,233 --> 01:25:20,300 they never would have been born. 1610 01:25:20,400 --> 01:25:22,100 So it was a way of showing them 1611 01:25:22,200 --> 01:25:25,800 the beginning of their lives. 1612 01:25:25,900 --> 01:25:29,166 NANDO PARRADO: If I balance, I have had a fantastic life. 1613 01:25:29,266 --> 01:25:31,100 I had a fantastic family. 1614 01:25:31,200 --> 01:25:36,400 And I'm doing what I love, which is appreciating 1615 01:25:36,500 --> 01:25:41,300 the astonishing fact of being alive every day, 1616 01:25:41,400 --> 01:25:42,333 every single breath. 1617 01:25:46,800 --> 01:25:50,333 NANDO PARRADO: We went back to Chile with Roberto and Gustavo 1618 01:25:50,433 --> 01:25:51,433 and our families 1619 01:25:51,533 --> 01:25:55,066 And we were driving through these dirt roads 1620 01:25:55,166 --> 01:25:56,800 climbing the mountains. 1621 01:25:56,900 --> 01:26:00,867 And suddenly, we-- we see a man on a horse coming down 1622 01:26:00,967 --> 01:26:01,900 the mountain. 1623 01:26:02,000 --> 01:26:05,133 No one on the side of this small road. 1624 01:26:05,233 --> 01:26:06,734 And we drive past him. 1625 01:26:06,834 --> 01:26:07,934 And it was Sergio. 1626 01:26:08,033 --> 01:26:09,400 NANDO PARRADO: We recognized him. 1627 01:26:09,500 --> 01:26:11,000 So we stopped the car. 1628 01:26:11,100 --> 01:26:14,400 And drove tonight, we ran towards him. 1629 01:26:14,500 --> 01:26:16,533 I say sir please, stop, stop. 1630 01:26:16,633 --> 01:26:19,433 And we said we are lost can you help us. 1631 01:26:19,533 --> 01:26:21,900 Can you tell us where we should go to? 1632 01:26:22,000 --> 01:26:25,100 NANDO PARRADO: And he looked at us and he started crying. 1633 01:26:25,200 --> 01:26:27,500 I have that photograph of Sergio and the two 1634 01:26:27,600 --> 01:26:29,667 of us 35 years later. 1635 01:26:29,767 --> 01:26:32,834 We remember him and whenever we go and visit him. 1636 01:26:32,934 --> 01:26:34,133 Yes. 1637 01:26:34,233 --> 01:26:36,567 Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Mr. Nando Parrado. 1638 01:26:43,200 --> 01:26:44,567 NANDO PARRADO: Sometimes it's very difficult 1639 01:26:44,667 --> 01:26:47,734 to speak about oneself, you know. 1640 01:26:47,834 --> 01:26:51,367 But it's nice to feel that sometimes you 1641 01:26:51,467 --> 01:26:53,667 can give something back. 1642 01:26:53,767 --> 01:26:57,300 I don't know if I have a message I can share what I feel, 1643 01:26:57,400 --> 01:27:01,667 and what I learned, and what my life has brought me to. 1644 01:27:01,767 --> 01:27:05,033 It's hard sometimes, you know. 1645 01:27:05,133 --> 01:27:07,900 Life is simpler than it looks. 1646 01:27:08,000 --> 01:27:10,700 For me, love is the most important thing in the world. 1647 01:27:10,800 --> 01:27:13,233 The love for our families kept us alive. 1648 01:27:32,433 --> 01:27:33,600 NANDO PARRADO: You know, I would also 1649 01:27:33,700 --> 01:27:39,066 like to honor all of the people that were in that plane. 1650 01:27:39,166 --> 01:27:41,066 Because instead still Nando here, 1651 01:27:41,166 --> 01:27:43,533 Marcelo would be here Guido. 1652 01:27:43,633 --> 01:27:47,033 You know, Arturo, Alexis, Gaston. 1653 01:27:47,133 --> 01:27:50,133 Why am I here and not them? 1654 01:27:50,233 --> 01:27:52,433 That's one of the questions that we'll never have an answer. 1655 01:27:52,533 --> 01:27:57,500 I sincerely I wish that you were here, that we would have never 1656 01:27:57,600 --> 01:27:58,967 boarded that airplane. 1657 01:27:59,066 --> 01:28:02,533 You know, I send you the biggest and warmest 1658 01:28:02,633 --> 01:28:06,066 embrace I could keep whatever you are 1659 01:28:06,166 --> 01:28:08,000 and you're always in my heart.