--- product_id: 62922984 title: "I Had to Survive: How a plane crash in the Andes helped me to save lives" price: "€ 0.29" currency: EUR in_stock: false reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.sk/products/62922984-i-had-to-survive-how-a-plane-crash-in-andes store_origin: SK region: Slovakia --- # I Had to Survive: How a plane crash in the Andes helped me to save lives **Price:** € 0.29 **Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** I Had to Survive: How a plane crash in the Andes helped me to save lives - **How much does it cost?** € 0.29 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Currently out of stock - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sk](https://www.desertcart.sk/products/62922984-i-had-to-survive-how-a-plane-crash-in-andes) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description On 12 October 1972, a Uruguayan Air Force plane carrying members of the 'Old Christians' rugby team (and many of their friends and family members) crashed into the Andes mountains. I Had to Survive offers a gripping and heartrending recollection of the harrowing brink-of-death experience that propelled survivor Roberto Canessa to become one of the world's leading paediatric cardiologists. Canessa, a second-year medical student at the time, tended to his wounded teammates amidst the devastating carnage of the wreck and played a key role in safeguarding his fellow survivors, eventually trekking with a companion across the hostile mountain range for help. This fine line between life and death became the catalyst for the rest of his life. This uplifting tale of hope and determination, solidarity and ingenuity gives vivid insight into a world famous story. Canessa also draws a unique and fascinating parallel between his work as a doctor performing arduous heart surgeries on infants and unborn babies and the difficult life-changing decisions he was forced to make in the Andes. With grace and humanity, Canessa prompts us to ask ourselves: what do you do when all the odds are stacked against you? Review: An inspiring testimony - In 2006, Nando Parrado was the first of the survivors of the 1972 Andes disaster to publish a personal account in English with “Miracle in the Andes”. Now, ten years later, two other accounts have appeared almost simultaneously. Pedro Algorta’s raw and honest ‘Into the Mountains’, and Roberto Canessa’s inspiring “I Had to Survive: How a plane crash in the Andes helped me to save lives”. All three are extraordinary accounts, all completely different, all essential reading. On the mountain, Roberto, with just two years of medical school behind him, was thrown in at the deep end. In impossible conditions with no medical equipment, he had to set broken legs, dress horrendous open wounds, and even performed an operation. And he tended to the injured with tender care (Algorta talks about him being ‘generous with the injured, harsh with the rest of us’). After surviving in desperate conditions for sixty days, constantly facing death, after several abortive attempts to trek out, he set out on that impossible final trek with his friend and rugby teammate Nando that eventually led to the rescue of the others stranded on the mountain. To a large extent Canessa’s life after the Andes has continued in a similar vein. As a renowned paediatric cardiologist in Uruguay, he has taken on the impossible cases, showing the same skill, tenderness, and strength he showed on the mountain to guide the children and their parents along the most difficult paths. Quite horrific cases, cases that everyone has given up on, where survival from one day to the next is uncertain, and death is always close. He has given the families hope were there was none, and one of the inspiring aspects of Canessa’s book is the series of testimonies, so clearly heartfelt, from the families of the children, and in one case from a young lady, given up as impossible case 20 years earlier, who now works at the same hospital as Canessa. Not all the children survived. For me the most inspiring story is that of Tomas who, in his short five years of life, showed more strength of spirit, courage, maturity, and joy of life than most of us could hope for in a lifetime. This is truly inspiring stuff, and I don’t think anyone can read this and not be challenged to reflect on their own life. Review: Very good - Good read. 50% survival, 50% tales of heart surgery etc. Tails off a bit with the latter. Should be 90/10. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | 579,645 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 884 in Sporting Events 1,732 in Aviation References | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 638 Reviews | ## Images ![I Had to Survive: How a plane crash in the Andes helped me to save lives - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71Z5e4cjHlL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An inspiring testimony *by J***R on 14 April 2016* In 2006, Nando Parrado was the first of the survivors of the 1972 Andes disaster to publish a personal account in English with “Miracle in the Andes”. Now, ten years later, two other accounts have appeared almost simultaneously. Pedro Algorta’s raw and honest ‘Into the Mountains’, and Roberto Canessa’s inspiring “I Had to Survive: How a plane crash in the Andes helped me to save lives”. All three are extraordinary accounts, all completely different, all essential reading. On the mountain, Roberto, with just two years of medical school behind him, was thrown in at the deep end. In impossible conditions with no medical equipment, he had to set broken legs, dress horrendous open wounds, and even performed an operation. And he tended to the injured with tender care (Algorta talks about him being ‘generous with the injured, harsh with the rest of us’). After surviving in desperate conditions for sixty days, constantly facing death, after several abortive attempts to trek out, he set out on that impossible final trek with his friend and rugby teammate Nando that eventually led to the rescue of the others stranded on the mountain. To a large extent Canessa’s life after the Andes has continued in a similar vein. As a renowned paediatric cardiologist in Uruguay, he has taken on the impossible cases, showing the same skill, tenderness, and strength he showed on the mountain to guide the children and their parents along the most difficult paths. Quite horrific cases, cases that everyone has given up on, where survival from one day to the next is uncertain, and death is always close. He has given the families hope were there was none, and one of the inspiring aspects of Canessa’s book is the series of testimonies, so clearly heartfelt, from the families of the children, and in one case from a young lady, given up as impossible case 20 years earlier, who now works at the same hospital as Canessa. Not all the children survived. For me the most inspiring story is that of Tomas who, in his short five years of life, showed more strength of spirit, courage, maturity, and joy of life than most of us could hope for in a lifetime. This is truly inspiring stuff, and I don’t think anyone can read this and not be challenged to reflect on their own life. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very good *by G***W on 19 June 2019* Good read. 50% survival, 50% tales of heart surgery etc. Tails off a bit with the latter. Should be 90/10. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This man is beautiful human being *by K***M on 8 September 2024* I decided to read this book, after first watching a channel 5 three part documentary Andes plane crash followed by the Netflix film Society of the Snow. I was so intrigued about what must have been going on inside these young men's heads at the time, that I first read Nando's book, then Society of the Snow, now this one. This book is different from the other two as it focuses a lot on Roberto's medical carrier. I find it fascinating how someone could go through something so traumatic and turn it into such a positive thing in his life. He has helped so many people in such dark circumstances of varying kinds throughout his life, which just shows this man's character as truly exeptional. I can't help but want to just give him a big hug. This is definitely a book worth reading. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.sk/products/62922984-i-had-to-survive-how-a-plane-crash-in-andes](https://www.desertcart.sk/products/62922984-i-had-to-survive-how-a-plane-crash-in-andes) --- *Product available on Desertcart Slovakia* *Store origin: SK* *Last updated: 2026-08-04*