Los Maitenes

Chile / Libertador General Bernardo OHiggins / San Fernando /
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This remote mountain camp is best known as the place where the survivors of the 1972 Uruguayan plane crash found rescuers. Two of the sixteen hiked about 60 miles through the mountains, two months after their plane crashed, and encountered some Chilean herdsmen at Los Maitenes, who rode some ten hours to a larger town and summoned helicopters and medical assistance. The 14 who remained at the crash site were rescued over the next two days, brought first to Los Maitenes and later to a hostpital in Santiago. Read all about it in Piers Paul Read's 1973 book ALIVE or survivor Nando Parrado's 2006 "Miracle in the Andes."
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uruguayan_Air_Force_Flight_571
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   34°48'47"S   70°35'13"W

Comments

  • I just saw the documentary/movie on tv and all I can think of saying is what determination and devistation that must have bee for Parrado and his party. Thank God he made it and all the adversity hem had to overcome even months after he was safe.
  • One important point about this story that doesn't ever seem to be explicitly stated is that the group of 16 survivors was not rescued. This was a case of what I would call a "self-rescue". Had Parrado and Canessa not gone on what was a veritable suicide mission, they all were going to die at the crash site. Un aspecto importante de esta increible historia que, aparentemente, nadie menciona explíicitamente es que no fueron rescatados, sino que Parrado y Canessa, en una verdadera misión suicida, hicieron lo que yo llamaría un auto-rescate.
This article was last modified 4 years ago