Haynes remembered that shortly after sundown they all experienced severe chills, which lasted for at least an hour. These were followed by a high fever, as most of the group became delirious and got out of control. The men fought with one another, thinking there were Japanese in the group, and disorganization and disintegration occurred rapidly. Captain Parke worked until he collapsed. Haynes was so exhausted that he drifted away from the group.
Some men swam away forever in search of the ship or the imagined islands.
It was some hours before they began to realize that sharks were among them. Suddenly a man screamed, his head bobbed for a moment, and he began flailing the water with his arms. Blood welled to the surface, and other men took up the cry. They beat the water with their arms and legs and shouted and screeched in an effort to scare the intruders away. As he worked, he happened to glance down through the tail-gunner's blister and saw an oil slick.