Javier Methol was one of 16 people who survived the 1972 Andes aviation disaster. He endured more than two months in the mountains after Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crashed. His experience later reached new audiences through Society of the Snow. His story also carries an especially painful dimension.
His wife, Liliana Navarro, survived the initial crash but died during a later avalanche. Methol returned home to their four children and eventually rebuilt his family life.
Direct answer: Methol was a Uruguayan businessman and one of the 16 survivors of the 1972 Andes crash. He was 36 when the plane went down. He survived the ordeal, lost his wife during an avalanche, and later became a speaker who shared lessons from the experience.
Key Facts at a Glance
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Javier Alfredo Methol Abal |
| Born | December 11, 1935 |
| Birthplace | Montevideo, Uruguay |
| Known for | Surviving Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 |
| Age at crash | 36 |
| First wife | Liliana Beatriz Navarro |
| Children with Liliana | Four |
| Second wife | Ana María Amorrortu |
| Total children | Eight |
| Profession | Businessman and public speaker |
| Film portrayal | Esteban Bigliardi in Society of the Snow |
| Died | June 4, 2015 |
| Age at death | 79 |
These basic facts are supported across contemporary obituaries and later biographical sources. Several accounts also describe him as the oldest survivor in the group. He turned 37 while the survivors remained trapped in the mountains.
Key Takeaways
- He was among the 16 people rescued after the 1972 Andes disaster.
- He traveled with his wife, Liliana, who later died in an avalanche.
- The couple had four children waiting at home in Uruguay.
- His age and life experience gave him a distinctive position within the group.
- He returned to business after the rescue and later gave public talks.
- He became closely involved with Fundación Viven.
- Esteban Bigliardi portrayed him in Society of the Snow.
- He died in Montevideo in 2015 at age 79.
Who Was Javier Methol?
Methol was born in Montevideo on December 11, 1935. He worked in the tobacco industry and spent time studying the business in the United States. His career eventually included senior responsibilities at the family-connected company Abal Hnos. His life had already included serious medical challenges before the Andes disaster. Reports describe a major accident during his youth and tuberculosis while he was living in the United States.
He recovered from both experiences years before boarding Flight 571. In 1960, he married Liliana Beatriz Navarro. They became parents to four children before their 1972 trip to Chile. The journey was intended to include time together while accompanying the traveling rugby group.
What Happened on Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571?
The aircraft crashed in the Andes on October 13, 1972. The flight carried 45 people and was traveling toward Chile. Sixteen people ultimately survived until the rescue operation reached them. The survivors faced extreme cold, scarce food, injuries, and prolonged isolation. Search efforts had also been called off before the group was finally located. Their survival depended on difficult decisions and cooperation inside the damaged aircraft.
Methol was considerably older than many people traveling with the rugby team. University ORT Uruguay later described him as the oldest member of the surviving group. His maturity gave him a different role within the improvised community.
The Loss of Liliana During the Avalanche
Liliana survived the initial impact and remained with the group afterward. She became an important presence among the survivors during those first weeks. Her daughter later discussed her mother’s experience in an extensive interview with Forbes España. On October 29, an avalanche buried the fuselage where the survivors were sheltering.
Liliana was among those killed during that disaster. Her husband survived and still faced the task of returning to their children. That loss became one of the defining parts of his experience. Later retellings emphasize his responsibility toward the children waiting at home. The film adaptation also makes that emotional responsibility central to his portrayal.
How Did He Survive the Andes?
There was no single action that explains his survival. The group depended on cooperation, improvised shelter, rationing, and decisions made under extreme conditions. Survivors also relied heavily on one another for physical and emotional support. Methol later spoke publicly about the role that faith played in his experience. His lectures connected survival with fear, hope, teamwork, and responsibility toward others.
Those themes became an important part of how he interpreted the disaster afterward. The ordeal lasted 72 days before the world learned that people remained alive. Two survivors ultimately made the journey that led to contact with help. Rescue operations then brought the remaining survivors out of the mountains.
His Life After the Rescue
Returning home did not mean returning to the life he had before October 1972. He had survived, but his wife had not. He now had four children who had also lost their mother. He eventually returned to his professional career at Abal Hnos. Published accounts state that he became a director and executive in corporate affairs. The company was later acquired by Philip Morris International.
He also remarried several years after the tragedy. His second wife was Ana María Amorrortu, and they had four children together. That brought his total number of children to eight.
From Businessman to Public Speaker
The Andes story remained part of Methol’s public life for decades. He gave talks about survival, leadership, faith, and working together under pressure. These appearances allowed audiences to hear the experience directly from one of its participants. In 2010, Universidad ORT Uruguay hosted his presentation titled Un pacto de vida. The event was organized alongside Fundación Viven.
The university described his presentation as a narrative account of his experience. His later public role therefore extended beyond recounting the crash itself. He used the experience to discuss choices people make during fear and uncertainty. His talks also helped preserve direct testimony from the surviving group.
His Work With Fundación Viven
The survivors later supported Fundación Viven, an organization connected with preserving their shared history and supporting social projects. Methol was closely involved with the organization and served as its first president. Contemporary Uruguayan reporting documented his participation in its work.
The foundation gave the survivors a structured way to connect their public visibility with charitable work. Its activities also provided another channel for communicating the lessons they associated with the Andes experience. That mission extended the story beyond books, interviews, and films.
A 2026 Uruguayan civil-society registry still lists Fundación Viven as an active organization in Montevideo. The registry describes its work in health-related areas. This shows that the institution continued beyond the generation that founded it.
How the Society of the Snow Portrayed Him
J. A. Bayona’s Society of the Snow introduced the 1972 story to another generation of viewers. Argentine actor Esteban Bigliardi portrays Methol in the film. Paula Baldini plays Liliana. Bigliardi discussed preparing for the role in interviews surrounding the movie’s release. The character differs from many younger passengers because he was already a husband and father. That age difference creates another perspective on the group’s ordeal.
The movie naturally condenses real events into dramatic scenes. Viewers should therefore distinguish between documented history and dialogue created for the screenplay. Reliable biographies and survivor accounts provide useful context after watching the film. For other film-related historical coverage, NewspaperLA readers can also explore its Jackie Robinson movie guide.
That article similarly compares screen storytelling with documented events. Both subjects show why fact-checking biographical films can add valuable context.
What Happened to Him After Society of the Snow?
His later decades included family life, business, speaking engagements, and foundation work. He remained associated with the survivors’ story for the rest of his life. Public commemorations repeatedly brought members of the group together. He died in Montevideo on June 4, 2015. He was 79 years old. Contemporary reporting identified cancer among the health problems he faced before his death.
His death made him the first of the 16 rescued survivors to die. That distinction appeared prominently in news reports following his death. His life after 1972 had lasted almost another 43 years.
Why His Story Still Draws Interest
Interest grew again after Society of the Snow brought the Andes story to streaming audiences. Viewers naturally began searching for the real people behind the film’s characters. His family story makes his experience especially memorable. His story also raises questions that a survival summary cannot answer alone. He faced bereavement, parenthood, responsibility, and the challenge of rebuilding life after rescue.
Those themes help explain why readers continue seeking information about him decades later. NewspaperLA readers interested in biographical entertainment stories can also read the site’s Michael Gross profile. Another relevant biography covers Mykelti Williamson’s life and career. These internal resources provide additional people-focused entertainment coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Javier Methol in the Andes disaster?
He was a Uruguayan businessman traveling on Flight 571 with his wife. He became one of the 16 people ultimately rescued. He was also the oldest member of the surviving group.
How old was he when the plane crashed?
He was 36 when the aircraft crashed in October 1972. His birthday was December 11, so he turned 37 in the mountains. The survivors were rescued later that month.
What happened to his wife, Liliana?
Liliana survived the initial aircraft crash. She died when an avalanche struck the survivors’ shelter on October 29, 1972. The couple had four children at the time.
Who played him in Society of the Snow?
Esteban Bigliardi played him in J. A. Bayona’s film. Paula Baldini portrayed his wife, Liliana. IMDb’s cast records confirm both roles.
How many children did he have?
He had four children with Liliana Navarro. He later had four more children with Ana María Amorrortu. Published biographies therefore record eight children in total.
When did he die?
He died on June 4, 2015, in Montevideo. He was 79 years old at the time. Contemporary reports linked his declining health to cancer.
The Lasting Legacy of an Andes Survivor
Methol’s biography cannot be reduced to the fact that he survived a plane crash. He returned from the mountains carrying grief, responsibility, and a changed understanding of survival. He then spent decades building another chapter of his life. His later work kept the Andes experience connected with family, faith, social responsibility, and public remembrance.
Society of the Snow has now introduced those experiences to millions of newer viewers. For readers discovering the real people behind the film, his life remains one of its most compelling stories.
