Álvaro Mangino: 1972 Plane Crash Survivor is Now a Grandfather

Though extremely hard to imagine, Netflix’s ‘Society of the Snow,’ AKA ‘La Sociedad de la Nieve,’ is indeed based on the real-life incident when a plane crashed into the Andes mountains in 1972. While many of those onboard were able to survive the initial impact, the days that followed were the true challenges that they had to face. This includes Álvaro Mangino, whose presence on Flight 571 led to a fate he could not have ever imagined. Five decades later, the world remains curious about his current whereabouts.

Who is Álvaro Mangino?

Hailing from Montevideo, Uruguay, Álvaro Mangino was born on March 31, 1953. Interestingly, he was not a part of the Old Christians Club rugby union team. In fact, he was not even affiliated with Stella Maris College as a student. Instead, he had friends on the team who encouraged him to join them on the trip from Montevideo to Santiago, Chile. The plane that the group boarded on October 12, 1972, unfortunately met a very tragic fate the very next day, leading the survivors stranded in the Andes.

Álvaro Mangino (Left)

For Álvaro, the initial crash was certainly brutal, given that his left leg was broken during the same. While Roberto Canessa used his amateur medical skills to help him as much as possible, the then 19-year-old still remained impaired for the majority of the 72 days that the group spent in the Andes. Given his lack of connections among the passengers, Álvaro did sometimes feel like he was completely a part of the group, but he appreciated the friendship extended to him by Canessa and Eduardo Strauch.

Due to his injury, Álvaro had to sleep in a makeshift hammock in order to keep his left leg hanging. Despite the extreme cold that he had to suffer due to this, Álvaro was safeguarded from the avalanche that killed eight of their companions on October 29, 1972. Having remained off his legs for most of his stay in the Andes, Álvaro ecstatically boarded the rescue helicopter that came to save him and others on December 22, 1972.

Where is Álvaro Mangino Now?

For the most part, Álvaro Mangino chose to live away from the limelight following his time in the Andes. That is not to say that he has not opened up about the same with the public. In fact, he was one of the survivors who contributed to the 2005 edition of ‘Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors.’ For several years, he lived in Brazil but has since returned to Montevideo. Part of the heating and air conditioning industry, the survivor has seemingly lived a fulfilling life.

In fact, Álvaro got married to Margarita Arocena, with whom he was already in a relationship prior to his time in the Andes. The couple became happy parents to four kids, with Álvaro now enjoying his role as a grandfather. He also remains close to many of his fellow survivors. As it turns out, Álvaro was particularly close to José “Coche” Luis Inciarte, whose death on July 27, 2023, likely grieved the Uruguayan man very much.

Read More: Where is Adolfo “Fito” Strauch Now?