Netflix recently launched an Oscar-nominated movie called “Society of the Snow” that shares a story about passengers that survived 72 days in the Andes after a severe plane crash. Even though this story seems like something you see in movies, it actually happened, and the remaining 14 survivors have come to learn how to have a normal life after this traumatic event. You may ask yourself, how can these people even live a life after facing almost three months of extreme torture? Well, this is where all the 14 survivors are now:
Carlos “Carlitos” Paez:
After his survival on the Andes, Carlitos went on to successfully create a career in advertising, which eventually started his own agency, Rating Publicidad. He also came to be the director of Bates Uruguay Publicidad and currently he manages his company of Communication Consultancy and Public Relations.
Roberto Canessa:
Roberto Canessa eventually became a motivational speaker and a pediatric cardiologist. He also went on to teach at the University of the Republic graduate school, and later on he even ran for Uruguayan president in 1994 but unfortunately did not win. It’s also important to highlight that before the crash he was in medical school, which led him to offer help to all injured people that survived the crash and it also helped him follow this medical career later on in life and become a cardiologist.
Nando Parrado:
Fernando Parrado has contributed to several books related to the crash such as My Long Trek Home or when he co-wrote the book Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain. As we can see, Parrado is rather more comfortable with sharing his experience as he has also participated in many film documentaries such as I Am Alive: Surviving the Andes Plane Crash ( released in 2020) and Alive: Back to the Andes ( released in 2006). Finally, Nando has also become an entrepreneur, TV host and a motivational speaker, which is a path that many other survivors have also chosen.
Alfredo “ Pancho” Delgado:
Alfredo Delgado became a motivational speaker who mainly and deeply shared the religious factors of the cannibalism that he and his friends participated in during their 72 days in the Andes. Ever since then, Pancho has chosen to live a quiet life.
Gustavo Zerbino:
Gustavo Zerbino went on to become the CEO and Director of the Uruguayan Rugby Federation. Along with this important role, he is also the President of the Proprietary Formulations Chamber in Uruguay, an organization that combines worldwide laboratories. His career continues to grow as he is also an motivational speaker which has spoken in various colleges around the world.
Eduardo Strauch:
Eduardo Strauch is now a painter and an architect who has opened up as an architectural student with his childhood best friend. He can also be known as a writer since he wrote the book Out of the Silence: After the Crash in 2019 with another writer named Mireya Soriano.
Álvaro Mangino:
Álvaro Mangino became one of the few survivors that have lived a quiet and low-profile life. He contributed to the book Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors written by Piers Paul Reed.
Antonio “ Tintin” Vizintín:
Antonio Vizintín became an Administrative Board Member for Viven Foundation, the Vice President of the Uruguayan Rugby Union and a motivational speaker. Earlier on he had also studied law and worked in plastic packaging and in the food industry.
Pedro Algrota:
After the crash, Pedro Algrota continued his studies in Economics at the University of Bueno Aires. He also went on to graduate with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration at Stanford University in 1982. As many survivors also did, Algrota wrote the book Into The Mountains: The Extraordinary True Story of Survival in the Andes and its Aftermath published in 2016.
Roy Harley:
Roy Harley has a very low-profile life although he has made appearances in Alive: 20 years later ( published in 1993), Independent Lenses ( published in 2009) and Stranded ( published in 2007)
José “ Coche” Luis Inciarte:
José Inciarte became the director of the National Cooperative of Milk Producers of Uruguay and the National Association of Milk Producers. He also wrote a book in 2018 named Memoria de los Andes. Unfortunately, in 2023, due to bone problems and cancer, José Luis Inciarte passed away at 75 years old.
Ramón “ Moncho” Sabella:
Currently, Ramón Sabella lives in Asunción, Paraguay where he works as a businessman. But he also is a motivational speaker and he particularly speaks amongst one of the survivors of the 2010 Copiapó accident in Chile.
Javier Methol:
Javier Methol is definitely one the survivors with the most quiet life, where he worked in the tobacco industry and married Ana María whom he had four childrens with. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2015 due to cancer.
Roberto “ Bobby” François:
Roberto François chose to live a private life where he did not share any of his experiences or any information at all about his traumatic event in the Andes. He has not participated in documentaries, he hasn't written books and hardly ever speaks about the tragedy.
Daniel Fernández:
Daniel Fernández is a professor of agriculture, and before he became a motivational speaker, he spent 30 years without speaking in public about the tragedy.
Adolfo “ Fito” Strauch:
Currently, Adolfo Strauch works in agriculture and is the father of four children. But earlier on in his life he participated in Stranded: The Andes Plane crash Survivors, Alive: 20 Years Later and Independent Lenses.
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