The Andes Flight Survivors' Rescue Is Completed
The rescue of the surviving passengers of the crashed Uruguayan aircraft in the Andes was completed on December 23, 1972.
Published · Updated · 1 min read
The Event
The rescue of the surviving passengers of the crashed Uruguayan aircraft in the Andes was completed on December 23, 1972. Evacuation had begun the previous day.
The Wider Story
Survivors had endured weeks of isolation before two men reached help. Helicopters then removed the remaining group in stages.
Putting the Event in Perspective
The final rescue date is different from the October crash and the first evacuation.
Reading the Historical Record
A respectful account avoids sensational treatment of survival decisions or invented conversations.
About the Historical Recreation
The accompanying visual is an illustrative reconstruction: a distant rescue helicopter above a snowy Andean valley, no injured people close-up. It is not authentic archival footage, an eyewitness record or additional evidence for the event.
Sources
Found an error? Send a correction. Read our editorial standards.