When the Japanese freighter Lisbon Maru, torpedoed by an American submarine, began to sink, the 1800 British POWs trapped in the holds managed to get out. They jumped into the sea, and many started swimming for the Japanese ships close by. Ropes were dangled from the ships, and as POWs tried to climb them they were allowed to get within inches of the deck, and were then kicked back over the side. The Japanese also strafed the water.
For 338 of the POWs, rescue came in the form of Chinese fishermen, who risked Japanese fire to sail out from the nearby islands and picked them up. The Chinese treated the POWs with great kindness, giving them what little food they had. One POWs gave his mouth organ to a fisherman in gratitude but he was so poor that it was traded for a bag of rice.
日本貨船里斯本丸號遭美國潛艇魚雷擊中，開始下沉。困在甲板下貨艙裏的一千八百名英軍戰俘，好不容易走了出來，跳進海裏，不少都向附近的日本船游過去。船上垂下繩索，待戰俘攀爬，爬到離甲板只有幾英寸，日軍才把戰俘踢回海裏。他們還向海面開槍掃射。
有三百三十八個戰俘，獲中國漁民救回性命。這些漁民從附近的島嶼出航，冒着日軍槍火，救起戰俘。他們對那些戰俘很好，僅有的一點食物都和戰俘分嘗。一個戰俘感激之餘，把他的口琴送給一個漁民。但那漁民實在太窮，賣了口琴，換一袋米。