December 23 in History
1972 – The 16 survivors of the Andes flight disaster are rescued after 73 days, surviving by cannibalism
Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, later known as Andes flight disaster and The Miracle of the Andes, was a chartered flight that originated in Montevideo, Uruguay, bound for Santiago, Chile. On October 13, 1972, while crossing the Andes, the inexperienced co-pilot of the Fairchild FH-227D who was the pilot in control mistakenly believed they had reached Curicó, Chile, despite instrument readings that indicated otherwise. The aircraft began descending too early to reach Pudahuel Airport, and struck a mountain, initially shearing off both wings and the tail section. The remaining portion of the fuselage slid down the mountain about 725 metres (2,379 ft) before striking ice and snow on a glacier. The flight was carrying 45 passengers and crew, including 19 members of the Old Christians Club rugby union team, along with their families, supporters, and friends.
The wreck was located at an elevation of 3,570 metres (11,710 ft) in the remote Andes Mountains in far western Argentina, near the border with Chile. Three crew members and eight passengers died immediately, and several others died soon afterward due to the frigid temperatures and their serious injuries. During the next 72 days, 13 more passengers died. The remaining survivors reluctantly resorted to cannibalism. Nando Parrado and Roberto Canessa climbed a 4,650 metres (15,260 ft) mountain peak without gear and hiked for 10 days into Chile. On December 23, 1972, 72 days after the crash, 16 survivors were rescued.
-Wikipedia
Picture- View of peak to the west that the three men climbed. The Crash Site Memorial in the foreground was created after the survivors’ rescue