Rugby Team Eats Their Dead

October 13, 1972

A flight containing members of the Uruguayan Old Christians Rugby team crashes in the Andes. They would have to resort to cannibalism to survive the 72 days until their rescue. Only 16 of the 45 people on board survived. Twelve died in the crash or shortly thereafter; another five died by the next morning; and one more succumbed to injuries on the eighth day. Many had suffered injuries from the crash, including broken legs from the aircraft’s seats piling together. On October 29th, an avalanche cascaded down on the survivors as they slept in the fuselage, killing eight more. Others died of their injuries and exposure.
Their ordeal is the basis for the 1993 film Alive.
Shortly after the movie Alive came out in 1993, Jose Luis Inciarte, one of the survivors, would share a $2.5 million lottery with members of his family who pitched in to buy the tickets.