Kumari Shreya
Thanks to Netflix’s ‘Society of the Snow,’ AKA ‘La Sociedad de la Nieve,’ the world gets to know more and more about the brave survivors of the 1972 Andes plane crash. Their stories are enough to make one wonder about the necessity of human lives and how circumstances dictate morals in the face of adversity. One of the people who did live to tell the tale is Antonio “Tintin” Vizintín. His bravery and resilience continue to inspire many.
Who is Antonio “Tintin” Vizintín?
Among the various members of the Old Christians Club rugby union team that were on board the Uruguyan flight to Santiago, Chile, Antonio “Tintin” Vizintín certainly played a crucial role in the aftermath of the crash. Though the survivors of the crash were initially hopeful that the search party in the air would find them, they soon realized that the rescue was called off. This was likely owing to the snow-covered landscape making it impossible for anything to be easily spotted from the air.
As days passed, Tintin and his fellow survivors tried very hard to make the best of the resources available. The decision to start consuming the flesh of the deceased was certainly not an easy one for any of the people who were left in the snowy Andes. However, they soldiered on in hopes of getting rescued. Ultimately, it was decided that some of the survivors would have to make an arduous journey through the mountains to Chile in order to find someone and tell them of the survivors’ fate.
Roberto Canessa, Nando Parrado, and Tintin were chosen to climb the mountains. This was because of everyone’s trust in the physical capabilities of the three men, who were determined to make it through for everyone’s sake. The three started on their quest on the 61st day but realized a couple of days later that the task was harder than they had thought. While the survivors were under the impression that they would have to climb only one mountain to be in Chile’s more populated area, they were devastated to see that they were actually in the middle of the Andes and miles away from help.
Knowing that they did not have enough food for all three to hopefully complete the task, Tintin and his companions realized that one of them would have to return to the rest of the survivors at the fuselage. Ultimately, Tintin made the mostly downhill journey back using an aircraft seat as a sleigh, trusting that Roberto and Nando might be up to the task that was ahead of them. Indeed, the two were successful, and Tintin himself was rescued on December 23, 1972.
Where is Antonio “Tintin” Vizintín Today?
Having celebrated his 70th birthday in 2023, Antonio “Tintin” Vizintín is still going strong and remains an inspiration to many. Following his rescue, he continued to study law. For over 13 years, he was a part of the plastic packaging industry, along with some experience in the food industry. Presently, he serves as the Vice President of the Uruguayan Rugby Union and an Administrative Board Member for Viven Foundation. Additionally, he is a proud motivational speaker and can often be seen at various events around the world.
On a more personal note, he also got married and had two children. His first wife soon passed away, but Tintin remained determined to soldier on, as he has always done in his life. As of writing, he is very happily married to Josefina Serrato. The former plane crash survivor takes every chance possible to spend time with children and grandchildren, though he is also quite fond of yachting. Over the years, he has also made multiple trips to the crash site, where he spent 72 days trying to find a way out.
Read More: Javier Methol: The 1972 Plane Crash Survivor Lived a Full Life
