Olympian and World War II (WWII) hero Louis Zamperini has died at age 97 on Wednesday in the presence of his family, according to Universal Pictures studio spokesperson Michael Moses.

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Zamperini's family issued a statement praising the former Olympian's courage in facing all the challenges in his life. The statement also said he passed away due to a "life-threatening case of pneumonia," Fox News reported.

The war veteran battled the illness for 40 days before succumbing to it in the presence of all his family members. The family said they saw his "indomitable courage and fighting spirit" in his last few days.

Zamperini joined the Army before Pearl Harbor and became a pilot in World War II. His team was looking for a downed B-25 when their own aircraft crashed into the Pacific waters, killing eight out of the 11 crew members.

Together with one of the survivors, Zamperini drifted for 47 days on a raft in waters known to be infested by sharks. He was later on captured by the Japanese and endured torture as a prisoner of war for two years.

Before enlisting in the Army, Zamperini was studying at the University of Southern California where he was also a runner. In 1936, he competed in the Olympics in Berlin and ranked eighth in the mile. However, he became known for finishing the final lap in just 56 seconds.

The former Olympian's story was detailed in Laura Hillenbrand's book, "Unbroken," in 2010. He also became a subject of a movie with the same title which was directed by Angelina Jolie and is set to be released in December.

In a statement, Universal Pictures said Zamperini's death made them "profoundly sad." The company also said he "lived the most remarkable life" because of the way that he faced the amazing incidents that he encountered in his long life.

Universal Pictures also praised the way Zamperini kept on persevering and prevailing in spite of the many trials in life.

TagsLouis Zamperini, death, pneumonia, Olympian, WWII hero, distance runner