: After three weeks at sea, the group began to separate their rafts to increase the chances of being spotted. A Navy patrol plane finally rescued Rickenbacker's group on November 13, 1942. Only one crew member, Sergeant Alexander Kaczmarczyk, did not survive the ordeal. Book: Lost in the Pacific, 1942 by Tod Olson
: They survived by catching rainwater and eating small fish or birds. In one famous instance, a seagull landed on Rickenbacker's head, which he caught and used for both food and bait.
: Most supplies were lost during the crash; the men were left with only four oranges. For 24 days, they battled dehydration, starvation, and exposure to the sun.
"Lost in the Pacific" typically refers to the harrowing true survival story of World War I flying ace and seven others after their B-17 ditched into the ocean in 1942. This historic event is the central focus of the narrative non-fiction book Lost in the Pacific, 1942: Not a Drop to Drink by Tod Olson. The True Story: 1942 Survival Odyssey