On Thanksgiving eve, 23 November 1995, the USS America
made its way through the Arabian Sea. Twenty-year-old,
Marine Lance Corporal (LCpl) Zachary Mayo was unable to
sleep and, wanting some fresh air, made his way onto an
open-air platform near the aircraft hangar bay, which was
three levels below the sleeping quarters. While he was on
the platform, the ship veered suddenly, throwing LCpl Mayo
through the platform’s protective bars and into the sea, 30
feet below.
Frantic, LCpl Mayo called out in vain to the watchmen on the
flight deck, which was 64 feet above him. It soon became
clear to him that the USS America would keep its course into
the Gulf of Oman until his absence was discovered at morning
muster. The LCpl took a moment to consider his situation.
Since land was at least 100 miles away, swimming was
suicide; he would have to stay afloat until a search party
found him.
Using the techniques he had learned during combat water
survival training, LCpl Mayo made a flotation device out of
his coveralls and tried to relax.
Meanwhile, business continued as usual aboard the USS America.
Since LCpl Mayo was on special assignment with the
hazardous materials division, his absence went unnoticed until
a petty officer asked several Sailors if they had seen their
shipmate recently. By the time a roll call had been completed,
LCpl Mayo had been adrift at sea for over 24 hours.
Although three, fixed-wing Viking aircraft were deployed to
search for LCpl Mayo, most people aboard ship feared the worst.
After 34 hours at sea, LCpl Mayo was discovered by fishermen
on a Pakistani fishing boat. LCpl Mayo’s survival is a
testament not only to his incredible physical courage, but also
to the soundness of the lifesaving training and techniques he
received during combat water survival training.