Roberto Canessa

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Canessa and the second or maternal family name is Urta.
Roberto Canessa
Roberto Canessa in 2010
Born
Roberto Jorge Canessa Urta

(1953-01-17) 17 January 1953 (age 71)
Montevideo, Uruguay
Alma materUniversity of the Republic
Occupations
  • Pediatric cardiologist
  • Motivational speaker
  • Lecturer
Spouse
Laura Surraco
​
(m. 1976)​
Children3
Websiterobertocanessa.com
Parrado (left) and Canessa with Chilean Huaso Sergio Catalan, 1972

Roberto Jorge Canessa Urta (born 17 January 1953) is a Uruguayan paediatric cardiologist, motivational speaker, and former rugby player. He is one of the 16 survivors of the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, which crashed in the Andes mountains on 13 October 1972.[1] He was portrayed by Josh Hamilton in the 1993 feature film Alive and by Argentine actor Matías Recalt in the 2023 Spanish feature film Society of the Snow.[2]

  1. ^ Ramon, Por Paula (4 January 2024). "Roberto Canessa, sobreviviente de la tragedia de los Andes: "Tenés que hacer tu propia agua y comerte a los muertos porque si no te morís"". infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Memorable: La sociedad de la nieve es la película definitiva sobre la Tragedia de los Andes". LA NACION (in Spanish). 14 December 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2024.