MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY – A survivor of the tragic 1972 Andes plane crash has come forward to share his pride in the difficult decision to consume the flesh of his deceased companions in order to remain alive.
Eduardo Strauch, now 76, was one of the 16 survivors who emerged from the horrifying ordeal, having been forced to make unimaginable choices in order to survive after the plane crash. After spending 72 days in the desolate, snowy mountains, Eduardo admitted that ‘it wasn’t easy the first time’ the group decided they had to resort to consuming the flesh of those who had passed away.
The survivors had been on a plane carrying 45 passengers when it crashed in the Andes, leaving them with very little food. All they had were eight chocolate bars, three small jars of jam, a tin of mussels, a tin of almonds, and several bottles of wine. As their provisions dwindled, they resorted to eating parts of the airplane, such as the leather on the outside of the seats before ultimately making the decision to consume human flesh.
Another survivor, Roberto Canessa, who was just 19-years-old at the time, was the one who first suggested they should eat their friends’ remains in order to survive. The survivors learned from a radio on the plane that the search for them had been called off after 10 days of being stranded in the mountains.
Businessman Ramon Sabella, 70, who also survived the crash, recalled the harrowing decision he and his friends had to make. He shared that they had made a pact that those who lived would eat the ones who died from the exposure, and he added that their deceased friends were ‘some of the first organ donors in the world’ – helping to nourish and keep them alive.
This tragic event resulted in the loss of 29 passengers from the initial crash, with the remaining survivors having to endure extreme conditions and make unthinkable decisions in order to survive.