The crew has now been lost at sea for 18 days, and their hallucinations are getting worse. One night, Whittaker imagines that he hears his son, Tom, who has recently joined the Navy, tell him that he is lost at sea as well. Not long after Whittaker’s hallucination, Cherry sees a Kingfisher plane in the distance. At first, the other men believe that he’s just hallucinating, but they soon realize that the plane is real. They signal desperately for the plane, but the pilot does not seem to notice them. Other planes soon follow, and Rickenbacker reasons that they must be near a Navy base.  

Cherry again decides to separate himself from the group. This time, he leaves alone in the small raft, looking for land, rescuers, or both. Whittaker, Reynolds, and DeAngelis soon follow. Left alone with Adamson and Bartek—who are both in frail states—Rickenbacker is furious.  

After 21 days at sea, Whittaker, DeAngelis, and Reynolds see land in the distance and determine that it is real. They paddle towards it as best they can in their weakened state, and they reach the small island seven hours later. Whittaker and DeAngelis hobble on their paddles to the shore while Reynolds, who is very ill, can only crawl.