Maybe the documentary tells more, but I just read a bbc piece on him and it seems like he gave up:
> He remembered: "I think once I accepted there was no hope of survival, I was powerless to do anything to save myself. A quiet resignation came over me."
> He remembered: "I think once I accepted there was no hope of survival, I was powerless to do anything to save myself. A quiet resignation came over me."
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetl...