Álvaro Mangino, a survivor of the 1972 Andes plane crash, died on Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Montevideo at the age of 71. His passing was reported by local media, which noted that Mangino had been struggling with health issues following a bout of pneumonia. This condition had complicated his recovery, something he shared during the promotion of the film La Sociedad de la Nieve last year.
On October 13, 1972, Mangino was traveling to Chile with the Old Christians Club rugby team when their chartered flight 571 crashed in the Argentine Andes. Of the 45 people on board, 33 survived the initial impact, but only 16 managed to endure the harsh conditions of the mountains for 72 days. This remarkable tale of survival has since been dubbed the "Miracle of the Andes" and has inspired numerous books and films.
The Old Christians Club expressed their sorrow over Mangino's death, stating, "The community of the Stella Maris School and the Old Christians Club deeply mourns the passing of Álvaro Mangino Schmid." Mangino's journey was fraught with peril; he almost did not board the ill-fated flight. After the crash, he and his fellow survivors faced extreme conditions at nearly 4,000 meters above sea level, enduring temperatures below -30 degrees Celsius without adequate shelter or food.
Two of the survivors eventually trekked for ten days through treacherous conditions to find help, leading to the eventual rescue of the remaining survivors. During his time stranded, Mangino made the harrowing decision to eat the flesh of his deceased companions, a choice he later described as "the hardest decision I made in my life" in the book La Sociedad de la Nieve by Uruguayan author Pablo Vierci, which served as the basis for the film.
J.A. Bayona, the director of La Sociedad de la Nieve, paid tribute to Mangino’s spirit and resilience on social media. He noted, "In the crash, he broke his leg and spent 72 days dragging himself through the snow. Nevertheless, despite his disability, he will be remembered for never stopping his work in the mountains, constantly melting snow to provide water for his companions." Bayona shared a photograph of Mangino alongside Juan Caruso, the Argentine actor who portrayed him in the film.
Caruso described Mangino as a humble individual with an inspiring life story. He recalled that it was Mangino's love for his girlfriend, Margarita, whom he later married and had four children with, that kept him alive during those harrowing days in the Andes.
After the crash, Mangino lived for many years in Brazil before returning to Uruguay, where he worked in a heating and air conditioning company. His death marks the third loss among the survivors of the Andes tragedy, following Javier Methol, who passed away on June 4, 2015, and José Luis Inciarte, who died on July 27, 2023.
The emotional impact of Mangino's story continues to resonate, reminding us of the strength of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity. His legacy of courage, perseverance, and love for life will endure in the memories of those who knew him and in the hearts of all who discover the story of the Miracle of the Andes through literature and film.
