▁five ▁hours ▁on ▁the ▁ice - cover ed ▁wings ▁of ▁the ▁plane ▁before ▁he ▁died , ▁the ▁ ▁sixth ▁to ▁lose ▁his ▁life ▁in ▁connection ▁with ▁prepar ations ▁for ▁the ▁army ▁to ▁fly ▁the ▁mail . ▁Once , ▁in ▁the ▁almost ▁super - human ▁struggle ▁of ▁the ▁three ▁to ▁cut ▁loose ▁the ▁craft ' s ▁mot ors ▁and ▁keep ▁af loat , ▁he ▁fell ▁into ▁the ▁cho ppy ▁sea . ▁Dog ged ly , ▁he ▁sw am ▁back ▁to ▁where ▁his ▁compan ions ▁could ▁pull ▁him ▁ab o ard ▁again . ▁The ▁could ▁[ s ic ] ▁was ▁inten se ▁and ▁a ▁st iff ▁wind ▁wh ipped ▁the ▁waves ▁high . ▁Again ▁Mc D erm ott ' s ▁g rip ▁failed ▁and ▁he ▁sl id ▁away ▁from ▁his ▁compan ions ▁and ▁into ▁the ▁water , ▁apparently ▁un cons cious . ▁ ▁Roth rock ▁and ▁P oc ock ▁couldn ' t ▁reach ▁him , ▁and ▁within ▁a ▁moment ▁he ▁had ▁disappeared . ▁Ten ▁minutes ▁later ▁res cu ers ▁from ▁the ▁destroyed ▁[ s ic ] ▁Bern ad ou ▁- ▁leading ▁a ▁fleet ▁of ▁ships ▁and ▁plan es ▁which ▁had ▁sought ▁for ▁hours ▁to ▁reach ▁the ▁pil ots ▁- ▁reached ▁the ▁almost ▁sub mer ed ▁[ s ic ] ▁craft ▁and ▁took ▁off ▁Roth rock ▁and ▁P oc ock . ▁James ▁H . ▁Roth rock ▁was ▁listed ▁as ▁the ▁pilot ▁of ▁this ▁flight , ▁in ▁Douglas ▁C - 2 9 ▁Dol ph in , ▁ 3 3 - 2 9 3 , ▁c / n