After being forced to use cannibalism in order to survive, the survivors of a 1972 plane crash above the Andes have come together to tell their incredible story.

Uruguayan Flight 571’s 16 survivors met together in Santiago to mark the 50th anniversary. They were attempting to fly a rugby team and supporters from Uruguay to Chile. 

Piers Paul read’s bestseller, Alive, The Story of the Andes Survivors, was based on their story. A Netflix version is in the making.  

Carlos Paez, a survivor of the massacre in Chile, said that it was their duty to share the story of their 72-day journey across the globe and the stories they have about the time in which their bodies were frozen in mountains.

He said that he had logged six million flights on American Airlines and noted his fearlessness about flying. “I will tell the story of this flight forever, like the Beatles singing Yesterday.   

Roberto Canessa (above), a medical student, suggested to his fellow survivors that they eat the 29 other people who died in the harrowing  Miracle in the Andes incident. All the survivors have reunited for the 50th anniversary of the event

Roberto Canessa (above), a medical student, suggested to his fellow survivors that they eat the 29 other people who died in the harrowing  Miracle in the Andes incident. The 50th anniversary has come and all the survivors have been reunited 

Pictured: The survivors waiting to be rescued after spending 72 grueling days in the freezing Andes where they were forced to eat their fallen loved ones to survive

Pictured are the survivors waiting for rescue after 72 days spent in freezing Andes. They were forced to consume their deceased loved ones to live.

The President of Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou (left), spoke with the survivors of the Andes tragedy Fernando Parrado (center) and Carlos Paez (right), before a friendly rugby game. The men were part of the amateur rugby team aboard the ill-fated flight

Luis Lacalle Pou, President of Uruguay (left), spoke to the Andes survivors Fernando Parrado and Carlos Paez before playing in friendly rugby. These men were part the amateur rugby team on the tragic flight.

Paez (above) said it was the survivors' duty to travel the world and share their story, which has been made into a book and film, with an upcoming Netflix adaptation

Paez (above) said it was the survivors’ duty to travel the world and share their story, which has been made into a book and film, with an upcoming Netflix adaptation

Pictured: the last eight survivors huddled for warmth as the awaited the second wave of a delicate rescue attempt from the unstable mountains

Pictured are the eight last survivors, who huddle for warmth in anticipation of the second wave.

Canessa, pictured mourning those who died in the tragedy 50 years ago, said the survivors all made a pact that if they should die from exposure, the rest were obliged to eat them to live

Canessa mourns those who were killed in the tragedy fifty years ago.

When the group lost all hope of survival, Canessa (above) climbed three miles down the mountain with Parrado to find help. They encountered a lone Chilean shepherd who rode 100 miles to alert the authorities about the survivors

Canessa (above), who was with Parrado three miles up the mountain, found help after the group’s hope of survival faded. The survivors came across a Chilean shepherd, who rode 100 miles in search of help.

Forty-five people boarded the ill-fated plane on October 13, 1972, including Montevideo’s Old Christians Club’s rugby team and its supporters. 

According to authorities, the pilot took a wrong turn in dense fog and then crashed into snowy mountains of the Andes. 

12 passengers died in the accident, while 17 other people were injured or died from suffocation due to an avalanche which occurred just days later. 

Ramon Sabella was 70 years old and a highly successful businessman. He held the deceased passenger in his arms when she passed. 

The survivors received word via radio from the ship that their search had been abandoned after 10 days. 

He recalled the grueling choice the 16 survivors made when Roberto Canessa, a medical student, suggested they eat the bodies of the deceased in order for the rest of them to survive. 

Sabella said to Times, “Of course, it was horrible, repugnant” It was difficult to get it in your mouth. We got used to it. 

He said: ‘In a sense, our friends were some of the first organ donors in the world — they helped to nourish us and kept us alive.’ 

Paez stated that there were no alternatives for young survivors and noted for those who are morbidly curious, human flesh ‘doesn’t taste like anything’. 

Canessa shared his story to DailyMail.com 2016 and said that the body belonged to friends and teammates. 

He said, “My only problem with it was the fact that these were my friends’ bodies.” “I was forced to visit their families to clarify. 

Canessa said that Canessa cut the flesh with glass and found some relief in the fact that the other people could have used his body for food, should he die.

Sabella pointed out that this sentiment was also shared by other survivors who agreed to eat any who were still alive. 

He said, “We made a promise to each other that, if either of us dies, all the rest would be obligated to eat our bodies.”  

Paez said there was no other option for the young survivors but cannibalism, noting for the morbidly curious that human meat 'doesn't taste of anything, really.'

Paez stated that there wasn’t any other choice for young survivors than cannibalism. He also noted for those morbidly curious, human flesh ‘never tastes of anything’.

While only 17 of the 45 died from the plane crash, the rest passed away from injuries and from a subsequent avalanche in the snowy mountains

Although only 17 people were killed in the accident, others died of injuries or a snowstorm that followed. 

After 10 days, the survivors learned from a radio onboard that the search for them had been called off

Ten days later, survivors heard from an onboard radio that the search was called off.

Pictured: Antonio Vizitin, a survivor of the plane crash, taking part in mass for the anniversary

Pictured: Antonio Vizitin, a survivor of the plane crash, taking part in mass for the anniversary

Survivors waited along the wrecked plane while Canessa and Fernando Parrado journeyed down the mountains to find help

Survivors waited along the wrecked plane while Canessa and Fernando Parrado journeyed down the mountains to find help

Two months had passed since the mountain rescue operation. The survivors were hopelessly lost. Fernando Parrado and Canessa decided to go on the search for help. 

They filled their rugby boots with flesh to climb the 3 miles up the mountain. It was exhausting for them over the 10 day trip. 

Antonio Vizitin initially joined the men to search for help. But he was made to return to the group because they ran out of food.  

When they came across a raging river halting their search for help, Canessa and Parrado spotted Sergio Catalán, a Chilean shepherd, on the other side who could not hear them over the water. 

The shepherd came back the following day and tore a rock with a pencil and pen for survivors. He explained his situation. 

The shepherd ran 100 miles in order to notify authorities. 

The rescue of all survivors was quickly completed by a helicopter, which took several days. Many of them had already lost over half of their bodies. 

Sabella explained to Sunday Times, “They took us hospital in Santiago.” I still recall the excitement of taking my first warm bath.

Pictured: Survivor Gustavo Zerbino tearing up during the mass. He became a rallying symbol for Uruguay's rugby team

Pictured: Survivor Gustavo Zerbino tearing up during the mass. His image became the rallying point for Uruguay’s rugby side.

Also in attandance for the ceremony was Roy Harley (pictured)

Roy Harley, pictured (left), was also present at the ceremony.

Pictured: A statue honoring Sergio Catalan, who found Uruguayans Roberto Canessa and Fernando Parrado and rode 100 miles to get help

Pictured: A statue honoring Sergio Catalan, who found Uruguayans Roberto Canessa and Fernando Parrado and rode 100 miles to get help

The event has been commemorated inside the Lircunlauta Museum in San Fernando, Chile

This event was commemorated at the Lircunlauta Museum, San Fernando, Chile.

Many survivors are still traumatized by the event, but they have made the best of it. 

The survivors are listed as Roberto Canessa, Fernando Parrado, Carlos Rodriguez, Jose Algorta, Alfredo Delgado, Daniel Fernandez, Roberto Francios, Roy Harley, Jose Inciarte, Alvaro Mangino, Javier Methol, Ramon Sabella, Adolfo Strauch, Eduardo Strauch, Antonio Vizintia and Gustavo Zerbino.  

Paez is now a grandparent of five and travels around the globe as a motivational speaker, sharing his life story. 

Roy Harley became an engineer, and is now retired at the age of 70. 

Gustavo Zerbino used his experience to bolster Uruguay’s rugby scene, gathering enough new members to revive the team and win 12 Uruguayan Championships in 14 years.  His country’s first victory over Chile is his credit. 

Canessa, a distinguished pediatric cardiologist who was awarded a British Council Scholarship for Guy’s Hospital. 

According to him, God has been kind to me. He also told The Times that God sees in his patients the same desire to live as he saw in the mountains. 

They say, “I’m telling them to climb mountains. I’ll be your guide.”