After a 10-day trek across the Andes, Nando Parrado and Roberto Canessa found Chilean arriero Sergio Catalán. The next day, Catalán took some loaves of bread and went back to the riverbank.
There he found the two men still on the other side of the river, on their knees and asking for help.
Catalán threw them the loaves, which they immediately ate, and a pen and paper tied to a rock. Parrado wrote a note telling about the aircraft crash and asking for help.
Then he tied the paper to a rock and threw it back to Catalán, who read it and gave them a sign that he understood.
The last 16 survivors were rescued on 23rd December 1972, more than two months (72 days) after the crash.
- 12 October (Thu) Day 0
- Crew 5, Passengers 40.
- 13 October (Fri) Day 1—crashed at 3:34 pm
- 5 people dead (Ferradas, F. Nicola, E. Nicola, E. Parrado, Vazquez), 7 people missing (Martinez, Ramirez, Costemalle, Hounié, Magri, Shaw, Valeta). Alive: 33
- 14 October (Sat) Day 2
- 5 people died (Lagurara, Abal, Mariani, Maquirriain, Martinez-Lamas) Dead: 10, missing: 7, alive: 28
- 21 October (Sat) Day 9
- Susana “Susy” Parrado died. Dead: 11, missing: 7, alive: 27
- 24 October (Tue) Day 12
- 5 missing people found dead (Daniel Shaw not found until 13 December, Carlos Valeta not found until 14 December). Dead: 16, missing presumed dead: 2, alive: 27
- 29 October (Sun) Day 17
- 8 people died in an avalanche (Perez, Platero, L. Methol, Nicolich, Maspons, Menendez, Storm, Roque). (dead: 24, missing presumed dead: 2, alive: 19)
- 15 November (Wed) Day 34
- Arturo Nogueira died. (dead: 25, missing presumed dead: 2, alive: 18)
- 18 November (Sat) Day 37
- Rafael Echavarren died. (dead: 26, missing presumed dead: 2, alive: 17)
- 11 December (Mon) Day 60
- Numa Turcatti died. (dead: 27, missing presumed dead: 2, alive: 16)
- 12 December (Tues) Day 61
- Parrado, Canessa and Vizintin set off to find help.
- 13 December (Wed) Day 62
- Body of Daniel Shaw found. (dead: 28, missing presumed dead: 1, alive: 16)
- 14 December (Thu) Day 63
- Body of Carlos Valeta found. (dead: 29, alive: 16)
- 15 December (Fri) Day 64
- Antonio Vizintin sent back to the fuselage.
- 20 December (Wed) Day 69
- Parrado and Canessa encounter Sergio Catalán.
- 21 December (Thu) Day 70
- Parrado and Canessa rescued.
- 22 December (Fri) Day 71
- 7 people rescued.
- 23 December (Sat) Day 72
- 7 people rescued. 16 people alive.