Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors by Piers Paul Read l Summary & Study Guide by BookRags Read Free Book Online

he enjoyed in the basement of
his home. The use of radio transmissions was as efficient as telephoning and
cost much less. In this way Ponce de Leon was able to be of help to his
friends. Their families used his home as their command center during the search
and gathered there in the evenings to listen for news. Ponce de Leon was able
to spread word quickly by contacting other radio hams in far off areas. For
example, from his home in Montevideo, Uruguay Rafael contacted Paez Vilaro in Santiago, Chile
with new information.

 
    Passengers

 
    The Fairchild originally carried
forty-five passengers and crew. The passengers were united through their
association with the Old Christians rugby team. Fifteen passengers were on the
team, and it was these men that chartered the plane. To defray the cost of
tickets, they invited their friends and family to come along as well.
Twenty-five accepted their invitations. The last five people on board were the
Fairchild's crew. Of these passengers, some died on impact, others died during
the wait for a rescue, and sixteen ultimately survived.

 
    Parents

 
    The parents of the Old Christians
team members were active in the search for their children following the
Fairchild's crash. They were not satisfied with the effort put forth by the
government to find the plane, so they launched their own complimentary search.
Some parents believed that their children survived. Others believed that no one
had survived but supported the search to find answers and gain closure. Paez Vilaro was the parent most
involved in the search. He was so often present that the local people began to
refer to him as the foolish man looking for his lost son.   He and his ex-wife, Madelon ( Vilaro ) Rodriguez, always had faith that their son, Carlitos , would survive. Paez was
aided in his search by other parents. These included Nicolich ,
Luis Surraco , Jorge Zerbino ,
and the Strauch relatives.

 
    Water Diviner

 
    The old water diviner in
Montevideo was consulted by the parents of the rugby team players. The water
diviner was amazingly accurate. He indicated a spot on a map of the cordillera.
Unfortunately, his advice was not followed because it seemed contrary to the
other information gathered. Listening to the water diviner would have expedited
the rescue of the survivors.

 
    Gerard Croiset

 
    Gerard Croiset was contacted by Madelon ( Vilaro )
Rodriguez. Croiset lived in Utrecht and was said to
have powers of clairvoyance. He had successfully helped to solve hundreds of
missing person cases, and Madelon was looking for
help to find the lost Fairchild plane. Croiset's vision of the plane was accurate, but he lead the
search team to the wrong position. The parents and search team spent a great
deal of time and resources following up on Croiset's visions.  

 
    Armando Serda and Enrique Gonzalez

 
    Armando Serda and Enrique Gonzalez were the peasants who first made contact with Canessa and Parrado when they
emerged out of the mountains. After two months of being stranded without
resources, the men must have appeared bedraggled, but the shy peasants welcomed
them. The peasants watched over cattle for their landlord and tended to the
land. They had minimal food and lodging but shared everything they had with the
survivors and sent for additional help from the nearest post.

 
    SAR

 
    The Servicio Aereo de Rescate (SAR) was
the Chilean governmental agency in charge of rescue operations. The search for
the Fairchild was led by the SAR interim commanders Garcia and Massa. The SAR
search was aided by the Carabiners (Chilean trained
military police) and Andinists (hiking specialists),
as well as occasional forays by the Uruguayan government.

 
    Objects/Places

 
    Fairchild

 
    Airplane owned by the Uruguayan
Air Force and chartered by the rugby team for its trip to the rugby tournament.

 
    Montevideo,
Uruguay

 
    Home to the
majority of the travelers on the Fairchild, the plane which