Fawcett, Jack, and Raleigh have disappeared. Several years pass. Family and friends remain hopeful, but many fear the worst. Charlatans emerge with phony reports of the expedition’s fate. In February 1928, George Dyott of the RGS leads a search party consisting of 26 members. Sending updates via radio, Dyott keeps the world informed of his progress. In June he arrives at Bakairi Post and meets Bernardino, a native who claims to have guided Fawcett. A month later, the Dyott party arrives at the village of Nahukwa. Dyott meets chief Aloique and notices several items in the village that might have belonged to Fawcett. Dyott concludes that Aloique and the Nahukwa had killed Fawcett, Jack, and Raleigh. After he emerges from the jungle, Dyott writes a book and stars in a movie about his rescue effort. Brian Fawcett, however, questions Dyott’s story on multiple fronts, noting, for instance, that the Fawcett expedition never included a guide named Bernardino.

Purported sightings and rescue efforts continue. In 1932, Stefan Rattin, a Swiss explorer, claims to have seen and spoken with Fawcett, who is being held captive by hostile natives. Citing a promise to Colonel Fawcett, Rattin organizes his own rescue mission.