An Olympic distance runner and Second World War veteran who survived 47 days on a raft in the Pacific after his bomber crashed, then endured two years in Japanese prison camps, has died. Louis Zamperini was 97.
Universal Pictures studio spokesman Michael Moses says Zamperini died Wednesday.
In this 1942 photo, Brig. Gen. Isaiah Davics, left, pins a pair of silver bombardier wings on former track star and Lt. Lou Zamperini. (Associated Press)
Zamperini enlisted in the Army before Pearl Harbor and was a pilot in Second World War.
He and his crew were searching for a downed B-25 when their plane crashed into the Pacific, killing eight of the 11 men.
Before joining the military, Zamperini was a runner at the University of Southern California. He ran in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, placing eighth in the mile.
His story was told in Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand's 2010 bestseller, and is the subject of an Angelina Jolie-directed film by the same name being released in December.
"It is a loss impossible to describe," Jolie said via Twitter.
"We are all so grateful for how enriched our lives are for having known him. We will miss him terribly."
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