Book Review: “I Had to Survive” by Roberto Canessa and Pablo Vierci
Source:- Qld Sri Lankan Newsletter
“I Had to Survive” is a harrowing and deeply moving account of human endurance, written by one of the survivors of the infamous 1972 Andes plane crash. Co-authored by Roberto Canessa and Pablo Vierci, the book revisits the unimaginable challenges faced by the 16 survivors out of the 45 passengers, who endured 72 days in one of the most isolated and unforgiving regions on earth.
On October 13, 1972, a plane carrying 40 passengers and 5 crew members from Carrasco International Airport in Uruguay crashed into a remote valley in the Andes Mountains, near the Chilean border. The plane was carrying a rugby team, along with their friends and family, to a match in Chile. The crash killed 12 passengers instantly, leaving the survivors in a desperate situation with no communication, minimal supplies, and the merciless environment of the Andes at an altitude that made breathing difficult.
The Andes, a formidable mountain range stretching 7,200 kilometers from Panama to Cape Horn, posed an overwhelming challenge. Temperatures plummeted to minus 20 degrees Celsius, and the survivors had to contend with freezing cold, limited food, and the devastating loss of their loved ones. The damaged fuselage provided minimal shelter from the biting winds and snow, but it was far from sufficient to keep them warm through the icy nights.
Roberto Canessa, a medical student at the time, emerged as a key figure in the struggle for survival. Along with another survivor, Nando Parrado, Canessa led an expedition to find help. With only rough maps and sheer determination, they set off on December 12, after nearly two months in the mountains. Despite the lack of appropriate clothing, gear, and knowledge of the treacherous terrain, they embarked on a perilous journey through the snow-capped peaks, facing extreme cold and dangerous crevasses. After days of exhausting trekking, they finally encountered three herdsmen in the village of Los Maitenes, Chile, on December 20. Their encounter with the herdsmen marked the beginning of the rescue operation that would eventually save the remaining survivors.
The book also delves into the controversial aspect of their survival: the decision to resort to cannibalism. Faced with the dire need to stay alive, the survivors made the difficult and desperate choice to consume the frozen flesh of those who had perished in the crash. This decision sparked worldwide controversy, but Canessa’s account provides a human perspective on the extreme measures they took to survive.
“I Had to Survive” is not just a tale of survival against all odds; it is also a reflection on the human spirit’s capacity for resilience, hope, and determination. Roberto Canessa’s elementary knowledge of medicine and his physical strength as a rugby player played a crucial role in keeping the group alive. After the ordeal, Canessa went on to become a leading paediatric cardiologist, and his experiences in the Andes profoundly shaped his life and career.
This book is a must-read for anyone interested in true stories of survival, human endurance, and the extraordinary lengths to which people will go to stay alive. Canessa’s vivid and heartfelt account makes readers feel as though they are living through the horror themselves, offering a profound understanding of what it means to survive in the face of overwhelming adversity.
Donald Sarath Gunatillake
Donald Gunatillake is a retired Civil Engineer living in Brisbane. He was a former broadcaster with Radio 4EB.
