▁built ▁fires , ▁used ▁lan tern s ▁and ▁fle w ▁the ▁ship ' s ▁flag ▁ups ide - down ▁to ▁indicate ▁they ▁were ▁in ▁dist ress . ▁ ▁They ▁spent ▁the ▁night ▁ad rift ▁until ▁a ▁fish ing ▁boat ▁finally ▁sp otted ▁them ▁and ▁to wed ▁them ▁into ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁har bor . ▁Anderson ▁did ▁not ▁realize ▁he ▁had ▁caused ▁great ▁concern ▁until ▁he ▁heard ▁a ▁news ▁story ▁on ▁the ▁radio ▁that ▁described ▁the ▁search ▁for ▁him ▁as ▁still ▁continu ing . ▁On ▁the ▁following ▁Sunday , ▁Anderson ▁was ▁back ▁on ▁the ▁" L ucky ▁St rike ▁Program ," ▁and ▁j oked ▁with ▁Jack ▁Ben ny ▁about ▁the ▁incident . ▁(" That ' s ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁I ▁ever ▁had ▁a ▁' lost ▁week end ' ▁on ▁nothing ▁but ▁water ! ") ▁ ▁Hor se ▁racing ▁ ▁Anderson ▁was ▁the ▁owner ▁of ▁race h ors es . ▁The ▁best ▁known ▁of ▁them ▁was ▁Bur nt ▁C ork , ▁a ▁Thor ough bre d ▁that ▁ran ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁Kentucky ▁Derby , ▁making ▁him ▁the ▁first ▁African - American ▁owner ▁of ▁a ▁horse ▁entered ▁into ▁the ▁Derby . ▁Having ▁been ▁given ▁the ▁following ▁day ▁off ▁by ▁Ben ny , ▁Anderson ▁and ▁his ▁wife , ▁Mam ie , ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁Louis ville , ▁Kentucky ▁to ▁see ▁their ▁horse ▁run ▁in ▁the ▁Derby . ▁ ▁Since ▁seg reg ation ▁in ▁public ▁accommod ations ▁was ▁pract iced ▁there , ▁the ▁Anders ons ▁were ▁invited ▁to ▁be ▁guests ▁at ▁the ▁home ▁of