Society of the Snow (2023) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

After the plane crash, survivors were stranded in the Andes with no food source. With no fauna or flora to sustain them and supplies quickly running out, the group faced the horrifying reality of starvation. After intense moral and religious debate, particularly led by the Strauch cousins, they agreed that if anyone died, their bodies would be used as sustenance. This decision, though traumatic, became a grim necessity to keep the remaining survivors alive during the 72-day ordeal.

• cannibalism
• starvation
• survival
• Andes
• moral dilemma

After weeks of survival, Roberto, Nando, and Tintín embarked on a final trek eastward through the mountains. After reaching a peak, they spotted a fertile valley below and eventually encountered a lone horseman in the area. They communicated with the villager, who helped them send a message to Chilean authorities. On December 22, 1972, the remaining survivors were rescued by helicopter.

Foreshadowing: Earlier failed rescue attempts and the abandoned search operations made this final rescue seem impossible.

• rescue
• helicopter
• Chilean village
• Nando
• Roberto
• December 1972

Numa was forced to return because he developed a severe foot infection that rendered him unable to continue walking through the treacherous terrain. His injury occurred during the initial expedition attempt when four men, Roberto, Nando, Tintín, and Numa, set out to find help. Despite his determination, the infection worsened and he had to turn back, leaving the other three to continue alone.

• Numa
• foot infection
• expedition
• injury

The pilots encountered a violent storm as the plane approached the Andes Mountains. The turbulence became so severe that the pilots attempted a dangerous diversion to avoid the high peaks. Unfortunately, they lost control of the aircraft during this maneuver, causing it to crash into the snowy Andes and split into two pieces upon impact.

• plane crash
• storm
• Andes
• pilots
• turbulence

Although search planes flew over the area and survivors could hear them passing by, the crash site was impossible to locate because heavy snow had completely buried and obscured the wreckage. The remote location within the Andes Mountains made visual detection nearly impossible from the air. Additionally, after an extended period with no survivors found, rescue operations were officially called off, news that devastated the survivors when they learned of it through their makeshift radio.

• rescue
• search operation
• snow
• crash site
• Andes

The survivors salvaged electronic parts from the plane wreckage and managed to construct a rudimentary radio. However, their hope was crushed when they picked up a transmission announcing that rescue operations had been abandoned. This devastating news deepened their despair during the long wait in the Andes.

• radio
• electronics
• wreckage
• rescue operations
• despair

The survivors endured 72 harrowing days in the Andes Mountains before being rescued. This period spanned from the crash on October 13, 1972, until their rescue on December 22, 1972. During this time, they faced extreme cold, starvation, avalanches, and the deaths of many teammates.

• 72 days
• rescue
• December 1972
• survival timeline

An avalanche struck the survivors' makeshift shelter inside the wreckage of the plane, burying much of their camp and killing additional members of the group. The extreme weather conditions in the Andes, including heavy snowfall and brutal storms, created ongoing avalanche risks throughout their 72-day ordeal.

• avalanche
• snow
• extreme weather
• deaths

The pilot died shortly after the plane crashed in the Andes Mountains. With the pilot's death, the survivors lost all communication with the outside world. They attempted to use the pilot's radio for help but had no power source to operate the equipment, leaving them completely isolated.

• pilot
• death
• radio
• communication
• crash

Driven by desperation after learning that rescue operations had been abandoned and facing dwindling hope, Roberto, Nando, and Tintín made the dangerous decision to venture out in search of civilization. Their mission was to find help and alert authorities to the survivors' location. This treacherous journey was their last hope after weeks of waiting.

• Roberto
• Nando
• Tintín
• expedition
• civilization
• hope

During their mountain expedition, Roberto, Nando, Tintín, and Numa stumbled upon the broken tail section of the plane, which had separated from the main fuselage during the crash. From this tail section, they were able to salvage additional supplies that helped sustain them, though the journey back to the remaining survivors was grueling.

• plane tail
• wreckage
• supplies
• expedition