: 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
On October 21, 1942, during World War II, a B-17 Flying Fortress carrying Colonel Eddie Rickenbacker on a secret fact-finding mission for the Pentagon strayed hundreds of miles off course. Unable to find their refueling stop at Canton Island, the crew was forced to ditch the plane in a remote part of the Central Pacific. Lost in the Pacific
: 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. : After three weeks at sea, the group
"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 Book: Lost in the Pacific, 1942 by Tod
This book is the first in the "Lost" series and is highly recommended for readers who enjoy dramatic, well-researched survival history.
