Chapter 3: Watching Four of My Shipmates Drown Summary and Analysis

Luis was in the middle of the ocean watching the destroyer Caldas take hit after hit from the relentless waves. Some of the ship's cargo started to float toward him. He clutched at the crates and stayed afloat by holding onto them but was taking a battering from the mounting waves. Then he heard the voice of First Warrant Officer Julio Amador Caraballo, shouting to grab hold of the life preserver. He looked around as if he'd been in a deep sleep and saw his fellow sailors trying to stay afloat just like he was. Then he saw a raft.

There were two rafts and Luis began swimming toward one. He reached the raft and on the third try was able to pull himself up and into it. Once...