Evening star., 1943-03-15
Army Flyers Rescued
After Plane Is Forced
Down Near Amazon
Four Fight Swift Current
To Reach Jungle Island;
Build Roft to Get Help
BY JOAQUIN ORRANTIA,

BY JOAQUIN ORRANTIA.
BOGOTA, Colombia, Feb. % ODE
layedD P,.-The rescue of -four
United States flyers from the Anna
zon jungles after one of them. taking
3 million -to-one chance, had drifted
down the turbulent Caqueta River
on fimsy raft to summon help
was disclosed today.
The man who went down the river
was Pvt. A. C. McDavid, a Texan
who won" the toss of a coin and
the dubious privilege Of boarding the
raft. His success is regarded as
little short of miraculous, for croc-
odlles and numerous other terrors of
the jungles beset him and night
overlook him before he sighted the
lights Of settlement.
The men were flying in an am
phibian from Bogota to a point in
the Amazon Basin when they were
forced down in the Caqueta, a trib-
utary Of the Amazon. At the place
where their plane sank the waters
are so swift that native swimmers
avoid the river.
Pvt. McDavid's companions were
1t. w, S. Briggs and N. w. Mann and
Sergt, E. M. Ondrej, also a Texan.
Pvt. McDavid had no time to don a
life belt and was soon in difficulties.
1t. Briggs had a gashed arm and a
face wound, but gave his belt to the
soldier.
Reach Island.
For two hours the men battled the
current before they reached an is
land as crocodiles began to close in
on them. 1t. Briggs also was at
tackled, as they neared land, by a
school of "caribes," tiny fish which
become enraged at the sight of blood
and are so vicious they will devour
man in short time. 1t Briggs was
forced to keep his wounded arm out
OF the water, although this, too. was
dangerous because swapping fish at
tackled it.
With their shoes and most of their
clothes gone. the men got ashore
1t. Mann, like 1t. Briggs, had been
injured in the landing. Among the
four, they had one cigarette lighter,
a penknife and few cigarettes
which 1t Mann had kept in water
proof bag.
Their situation looked hopeless
and was not frightened when they
saw the tracks of jungle cat on the
island beach. They were in vast
expanse of jungle, where there was
slight hope of being spotted from
the air or reached by land. A raft
was their only chance. They cut
vines laboriously with the knife.
gathered branches together and con-
structed the raft and placed two Of
the life jackets on top to give 1t
greater buoyancy.
The coin was tossed and Pvt. Nc
David started out about pm. The
raft turned madly in whirlpools,
scraped rocks, slowed in still water,
tilted when one Of the life belts
carried way, but still went on. A
crocodile tried to nose it over. Pvt.
McDavid held on.
Darkness came and the raft still
drifted. Around IL o'clock he saw
light on the right bank and began
yelling. Dogs started to bark.
Picked Up by Canoe.
Just as I was losing hope" Pvt.
McDavid told this correspondent.
"a canoe manned by Colombian
army officers and men came along
and picked me up. I learned that
they were from the garrison of La
Pedrera, where I had first seen the
light. Most of the men were naked,
having jumped from their beds and
boarded the canoes as soon as they
heard my cries for help"
Pvt. McDavid, who speaks no
Spanish, conveyed to the men the
plight of the others. They gave him
food and dry clothing and soon an
expedition of one launch and several
canoes started upstream. After
many hours they reached the island,
Its. Briggs, Mann and Sergt. On
drej had built a fire. Off in the
shadows they could hear, as they
waited. the growl Of jungle cats and
the noise Of the crocodiles. The fire
was still blazing at dawn when the
rescuers arrived and took the men