Daniel Fernández Strauch, one of the 16 survivors of the accident that occurred on October 1972 in the Andes, involving the crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, passed away this Thursday in Montevideo.
This was confirmed to EFE Agency by another survivor of that episode, Gustavo Zerbino, who remembered him as "a dear friend, a great father, and a great grandfather."
"In the mountains, he was a stronghold. A great friend, always positive. Being one of the oldest, he brought peace and tranquility," he said, recalling the 72 days they lived amidst the snow of the Andes, from where they were rescued between October 22 and 23.
On October 13, 1972, the plane carrying the rugby club delegation Old Christians to Chile crashed in the Andes mountains.
With the impact, 13 out of the 40 passengers died instantly, while others passed away in the following days due to injuries, the extreme cold of the place, and an avalanche that occurred on October 29.
Despite this, 16 managed to survive: Gustavo Zerbino, Antonio Vizintin, Eduardo Strauch, Adolfo Strauch, Fernando Parrado, Ramón Sabella, Carlos Páez, José Luis Inciarte, Javier Methol, Roy Harley, Álvaro Mangino, Roberto Francois, Pedro Algorta, Roberto Canessa, Daniel Fernández, and Alfredo Delgado.
Among them, four have passed away: Daniel Fernández Strauch (2025), Álvaro Mangino Schmid (2025), José Luis 'Coche' Inciarte (2023), and Javier Methol (2015).