Andes Plane Crash Survival: Teamwork & Ethics
Final Reflection: Andes Plane Crash
1. Survival, Courage, and the Power of Teamwork
The survivors demonstrated incredible strength facing extreme conditions: freezing cold, extreme hunger, and severe injuries. Their ability to pull together and support each other was crucial.
- Teamwork: Each person contributed their skills. Some cared for the wounded, others sought resources, and decisions were made collectively on many occasions.
- Example of Resilience: Although some succumbed to exhaustion or injury, the group showed physical and emotional resilience that exceeded all expectations.
- Leadership Dilemma: There was no clear structure, but collaboration and joint determination were essential to their survival.
2. Ethics and Survival: Difficult Decisions
One of the most hotly debated aspects was the decision to consume the bodies of the deceased.
- Extreme Context: They were isolated, unable to receive immediate help, and faced certain death by starvation.
- Emotionally Charged: It was a decision fraught with grief, respect, and ethical dilemmas. How far does the survival instinct go? What did it mean, in that context, to ‘respect the dead’?
This decision continues to generate philosophical and ethical debates:
- Is it morally acceptable to break social taboos to save lives?
- Can we judge these decisions from the comfort of our circumstances?
3. Doubts: Unanswered Questions
How did they manage to survive for so long?
A mixture of teamwork, survival instinct, and psychological resilience seems to have been key. However, no one can fully explain how some of them survived 72 days in such a hostile environment.
The human body, under extreme conditions, can adapt in surprising ways, but it remains a mystery how their mind and spirit played such an important role.
Why did they decide to fly despite the bad weather?
This point remains an open question: Was it external pressure, overconfidence, or simply a poor risk assessment?
What would have happened if Parrado and Canessa had taken another route?
The route they chose was essential to finding help, but it was uncharted territory. Had they taken a different route, it is possible that they would never have found anyone.
4. Final Reflection: Unanswered Questions
The role of the unexplained: There are questions that will never have a clear answer.
Films, Documentaries and Books
- Alive (1993) (Frank Marshall): A film based on the true story of the 1972 Andes crash, depicting the survivors’ struggle for survival and ethical dilemmas.
- I Am Alive (Brad Osborn): A documentary exploring the psychological impact of the Andes tragedy through the eyes of survivor Nando Parrado.
- Nando Parrado: Miracle in the Andes (BBC): A documentary recounting the harrowing story of Nando Parrado’s survival and rescue after the Andes crash.
- La Sociedad de la Nieve (Pablo Vierci): A book that delves into the personal accounts of the survivors of the Andes crash and their experiences of survival.
- La Sociedad de la Nieve (film) (J. Antonio Bayona): A film adaptation of the book, portraying the emotional and physical challenges faced by the Andes crash survivors.