Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors by Piers Paul Read l Summary & Study Guide (4 page)

Section Eight
Summary and Analysis

The thirteen survivors in the
Fairchild had watched the hikers' progress up the mountain for as long as
possible. Eventually their position became so far away that they faded into the
snowy background and could no longer be seen. It was with great surprise, then,
that
Vizintin
came sliding back to camp on a seat
cushion sled. While
Canessa
and
Parrado
were hiking, the others were trying to stay alive. Their meat sources were
running low, so they went looking for more bodies. The summer sun was melting
the snow and uncovering some that had been previously unattainable.
Unfortunately for
Fito
, the body he found belonged to
his deceased cousin, Daniel, and he was reluctant to use it. It was placed on
reserve along with that of
Liliana
Methol
, who had died in the avalanche. Their bodies were
only to be consumed when all of the others were gone. The survivors experienced
more false hope as well. They heard rumbling nearby, which they mistook for a
rescue helicopter. It was actually another avalanche. They heard on the
transistor radio that a cross had been discovered in the mountains. They hoped
it was the cross of luggage they created by the tail; however, the cross found
was created by
geophysists
as part of a geology
experiment. This was a source of great disappointment among the men. They heard
the intermittent sounds of a plane, but it never came close enough to see. It
was now one week before Christmas, and
Canessa
and
Parrado
were one week into their hike.

Section Nine
Summary and Analysis

On December 12, the C-47 plane
promised by the Uruguayan Air Force finally arrived. It had experienced
additional engine problems along the way, which were apparently caused by the
combination of severe cold and high altitude.
Paez
Vilaro
and the other parents were anxious to depart. The
following morning, some began searching with the C-47. Others, such as
Paez
, had strategic plans on the ground. Ponce de Leon's
radio network was utilized to make necessary arrangements for the parents and
the planes. Still others set off to attempt to locate the miner who reported
seeing the plane crash. They could not find the miner, but they did speak with
his close friends, who passed on the story he had told them. The miner's story
confirmed that the plane was near the
Tinguiririca
volcano. This information was relayed via radio to
Nicolich
and the others who were searching by plane. They talked about the discovery of
a cross in the snow on Santa Elena
mountain
. Its
symmetry was perfect and well planned. All the newspapers were covering the
story, and there was some postulation that it could be related to the Fairchild
survivors. To be thorough the officials and parents moved their search to the
area of the cross. While this raised the hopes of the families, it turned out
to be a misuse of resources and time. They learned later that the cross was
made by scientists from Mendoza. This excitement was akin to an emotional
roller coaster ride for the families. They oscillated between holding onto hope
and giving up. They then turned the focus of the search onto the area around
the volcano and lake. While flying over the lake, they viewed human footprints.
The idea of finding the boys alive seemed
to
good to
be true. It crossed their minds that the footprints might also belong to
robbers stealing from the crash site. The army commander, Colonel Morel, agreed
to send a patrol to the area where they reported the footprints. When they
searched again the footprints were not visible, and the disappointed fathers
planned their return to Montevideo.

Section Ten
Summary and Analysis

After
Vizintin
left them,
Parrado
and
Canessa
took a break to replenish their energy and then continued their ascent.
Parrado
(
Nando
) took the lead
position on the expedition. The extreme altitude wore on their bodies and
rendered them exhausted. During their hike,
Canessa
prayed continuously to God. They made it up the mountain and down the other
side. The top of the mountain was
wind blown
and
lacking in humidity, so there was little snow. Once on the other side the snow
drifts were deep, and when the sun came out they began to melt. The ground
beneath their feet was mushy and it required much effort to advance. In some
areas they tumbled or sled down on their bottoms.
Canessa
was thankful for those times of sledding. He was struggling with the physical
demands of the journey and often lagged substantially behind
Parrado
.

While
Canessa
prayed to God,
Parrado
focused on his father.
Parrado
knew that his father not only loved, but truly
needed, him, and he
willed
himself to return as
quickly as possible. In this way, they surged forward. Eventually they could
see a small stream flowing down the mountain. It was the first clean and
flowing water they had seen in months, and it was surrounded by grasses. It was
a welcome sight, but they still had a distance to travel. They had come over
the largest mountain and entered the area that resembled the Y. After resting
for the night,
Parrado
woke eager to explore the
corridor of the Y.
Canessa's
energy had not fully
returned despite his curiosity.
Parrado
instructed
Canessa
to find something to distract himself from the
effort. Once he did this,
Canessa
was able to keep up
and
Parrado
was amused. After moving through the
valley for a while they heard a roaring sound. The farther they went, the
louder the noise grew until the area in front of them appeared as a paradise to
their deprived eyes. The vegetation was lush; the water flowed abundantly, and
there were animals present.
 
They gave
thanks to God and rested. After refreshing themselves they headed out again to
find civilization. They did so with confidence that the worst was behind them.

After hiking for a while they
faced the river head on. It seemed there was nothing to do but cross it. They
found a spot where a large rock existed in the center of the river and they
crossed it through a form of leap-frog. When
Canessa
had crossed,
Parrado
began launching their belongings
across.
Canessa
retrieved them and then
Parrado
made the crossing as well. Their clothes were
drenched from the river so they set up camp and dried their clothes in the
setting sun. The next day they encountered trees, and
Parrado
thought he saw cows in the distance. They were drawn toward the horizon and the
comfort it promised their tired bodies, but the terrain through which they
traveled was still rocky and rough. They came across an empty soup can, cow
dung, and a horseshoe. These signs of human life kept them optimistic. A stand
of trees could be seen with ax marks, and they looked forward to being united
with the person who watched the cows and wielded the ax. They came to a path
and followed it. This made the hiking easier, although
Canessa
continued to suffer. His exhaustion was compounded by an awful bout of diarrhea
that left him weak.
Parrado
carried his own knapsack
as well as
Parrado's
but
Parrado
still lagged behind. Fortunately that afternoon found them at an animal corral
with rough shelter and a place for a fire.
Parrado
searched for firewood and assessed their surroundings. An additional river
joined the one they had been following and there seemed no easy way to cross
it. They decided to stay the night and contemplate their path in the morning.
Their food supplies had run out and they thought of killing one of the cows for
food, but decided that wouldn't be prudent since they were looking for help,
not enemies.

While
Canessa
rested he was struck by the realization that the light was shifting. What had caught
his attention was the shadow and movement of a horse with a rider. The horseman
was across the river and they tried in vain to communicate with him. The rider
was far away and the sound of the river was deafening. Still, they had made
contact with another human being.
Canessa
and
Parrado
fell into a fitful sleep that night. Their emotions
were a mix of excitement, trepidation and exhaustion. In the morning, they
awoke under the watchful gaze of three men.
Parrado
followed the gestures of the men which led him to the river. They communicated
by tying messages to a rock and tossing the package across.
Parrado
wrote a plea for help. He explained who he
was,
the
circumstances surrounding his appearance and that there were fourteen more
survivors in need of a rescue mission.
Parrado
was
given bread in exchange and was left to wait. A few hours later they were
approached again, this time by someone on the same side of the river where they
waited. The man introduced himself as Armando
Serda
,
and he shared his lunch with them and another peasant, Enrique Gonzalez. For
the first time in seventy days
them
men shared
conversation and food with the outside world. They were also rewarded with a
bed in which to sleep.

Section Eleven
Summary and Analysis

While
Parrado
and
Canessa
hiked through the Andes, their parents
were busy searching as well. The C-47 needed repairs again. This disappointed
not just the parents but also the pilots, as they were friends of
Ferradas
and
Lagurara
. The pilots
wanted to help the parents and answer the lingering questions related to the
accident. While
Nicolich
, Harley, and
Canessa
waited for the repairs, they checked in with Ponce
de Leon's radio network. They heard a snippet of conversation about a plane
being found, but the transmission was poor and they couldn't be sure about the
identity of the aircraft in question.
Canessa
left by
bus to return to Montevideo.
Nicolich
and Harley
waited for the repairs to the C-47
,.
On that same day
Paez
Vilaro
and Rodriguez had
also made their way to the airport to return to Montevideo.
Paez
Vilaro
lagged behind. He risked missing his flight by
doing so but was waiting for a man to deliver to him a
poddle
puppy he had promised to bring home for Christmas. Boarding the plane was then
risky because animals were prohibited on board. He was detained by the
international police and thought for sure that it was because of the puppy.
Instead he was given a telephone. Colonel Morel was on the line with great
news--they had found the plane, or rather the boys who had hiked out.
Paez
ran to the plane to tell his friend, Rodriguez, who
had already boarded. They rushed to meet the Colonel in San Fernando. Harley
and
Nicolich
received the news as well and reversed
direction. Dr.
Canessa
had not yet returned to
Montevideo because he had stopped at a friend's house. He, too, headed back to
San Fernando. Dr.
Canessa
had the fortune of knowing
that his son was named as one of the survivors.

Section Twelve
Summary and Analysis

Canessa
and
Parrado
awoke after a rest of many hours. Their malnourished bodies had digested their
previous meal and required more. Armando and Enrique were happy to supply them
with more food and pleasant conversation.
Canessa
and
Parrado
learned that they were a two day ride (on horseback)
from the nearest town called San Fernando. They were nervous and wanted the
news to travel faster for the sake of their friends still stranded in the
Fairchild. They didn't have to wait long. Ten carabineers arrived and asked for
directions to the plane. They were prepared only to retrieve survivors by foot.
Hearing that this was not possible, the captain ordered two men to return to
the post and request a helicopter from Santiago. The men shared dinner with the
carabineers and went to bed excited at the prospect of a helicopter's arrival
in the morning.

The next morning brought a fog
bank.
Parrado
and
Canessa
ate breakfast while waiting for the fog to lift. They were startled when their
next visit came not in the form of a helicopter but instead brought a throng of
journalists. They politely answered the reporters' questions and omitted a few
details. When the fog started to lift, three Chilean Air Force helicopters
could be seen approaching. The helicopters carried the action group's
commander, Colonel Morel, mechanics, a nurse, a medical orderly, a doctor, and
members of the Andean Rescue Corps.
Parrado
offered
to accompany the team and direct the pilots to the Fairchild. By then, it was
midday and flying in the Andes at that time was dangerous because of wind
patterns. The helicopters climbed an impressive 13,500 feet before reaching the
summit and moving down the opposite side. At last, the Fairchild had been
found.