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Escapes from Alcatraz: Infamous Escape Attempts from the "Inescapable" Island
by Jill Loeffler •
Discover details on the attempted escapes from Alcatraz Prison, including the 1962 escape by the infamous Frank Lee Morris and Anglin brothers.
How many escapes were attempted at Alcatraz? In the 29 years the prison was open, there were 14 escape attempts.
What happened to the men who attempted to escape Alcatraz? The attempts included 36 prisoners, and none were considered successful.
Only one of the people who tried to escape from Alcatraz made it alive to San Francisco during the final attempt, but he was immediately caught and returned to the island.
Two of the prisoners drowned in the bay. Six of the prisoners were shot during their attempts. 23 were captured and returned to their cells.
Five of the prisoners were never found. For years, prison officials stated those five must have drowned, since no one ever heard from them again.
However, new evidence was recently recovered on the infamous 1962 escape attempt... Read on to learn more!
Who was the first to attempt an Alcatraz Prison escape? The first of the Alcatraz escape attempts was in April of 1936, when Joseph Bowers, inmate number 210, attempted to escape on his own. As he climbed the fence, he was shot and killed by the guards.
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Deadliest Alcatraz Escape Attempt: The Battle of Alcatraz
One of the most famous attempts was named the Battle of Alcatraz. It was also known as the Alcatraz Blastout.
It was one of the bloodiest of all Alcatraz escape attempts in the island's history. On May 2, 1946, a group of six prisoners tried to take control of the main building.
The prisoners were able to overpower the guards to take control. The battle lasted for two days.
This is one of the escape attempts from Alcatraz where two officers were killed and several others were wounded. Three of the six prisoners who attempted to escape were also killed in the battle.
Reinforcements finally came in and took back control on May 4. The remaining three prisoners went on trial for the murders that occurred during the Battle of Alcatraz.
Another Famous Escape (Attempt): Frank Morris and the Anglin Brothers
The escape by Frank Morris, Alan West, and John and Clarence Anglin was another famous event by daring inmates. This was one of the most thought-out and sophisticated Alcatraz escape attempts in the prison's history.
Frank Lee Morris was the mastermind behind the plan. For seven months, the four inmates worked together to plan their escape.
Interesting Fact: Shortly before their planning began, officials had decided to make the dining experience more intimate for the prisoners. Instead of long tables, they created tables of four. These four sat together every day, which gave them plenty of non-monitored time to plan their escape.
How did they escape from Alcatraz?
All four inmates prepared for their attempt by digging holes through the vents in their cells. The holes they created linked through to the ventilation ducts which they planned to use to get out of the main building.
This is one of the escapes from Alcatraz in which the prisoners prepared dummy heads for their beds to make it look like someone was sleeping and allow them more time for their escape.
One of the best ways to learn more about this attempt is on Alcatraz Island. One of the park rangers is currently studying the case. After quite a bit of research, he got in touch with one of the Anglin sisters. He presents the current status of the case a few days a week during the day tours. The photo above is from my recent visit when he gave his talk.One evening after 9 pm in June 1962, the four inmates attempted their escape. They all placed their fake dummy heads in their beds, opened the covers to the vents, climbed through the ducts and outside of the main building.
Alan West had trouble getting the cover off his vent, so they left him. He ended up getting it off hours after the others, climbed through the vents and realized he was too late to escape with the other three. He then returned to his cell undetected.
How did the guards not notice they were missing? The decoy heads had real hair that one of them stole over time from their work in the barber shop on the island.
Thanks to the decoy heads, the guards didn't notice the missing prisoners of Alcatraz until after 7 am the next morning. This gave them plenty of time to get away.
Once the guards noticed they were missing, the prison went into lockdown. A massive search for the missing prisoners of Alcatraz followed.
The three prisoners were never seen or heard from again. Much of the evidence found led the authorities - at the time - to determine that all three had drowned in the San Francisco Bay during this Alcatraz escape attempt.
Updates: New evidence is still surfacing on this case. Did Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers really drown, or did they make it? Some believe that they did indeed make it.
National Geographic produced a great documentary on the incident with the new federal marshal assigned to the case. His investigation, including newly discovered information, will make you think twice about whether they made it or not.
The documentary is called "Vanished from Alcatraz" and you can find it on Amazon. If you are fascinated by this story, you will LOVE this documentary.
Was Frank Morris found alive? No, Frank Morris is still listed as a wanted fugitive.
But how old would these men be if they were found alive today? Frank Lee Morris would be nearly 100 years old and the Anglin brothers would be in their mid-90s.
Visit Alcatraz and Learn More
The best way to learn more about Alcatraz escapes and emerging case information is to visit and hear for yourself from the park rangers who have investigated this topic and know the prison grounds in and out.
If you can't get Alcatraz prison tour tickets for your desired day, or don't have time to do the full tour, you could still enjoy the 90-minute "Escape from the Rock" bay cruise, which makes a full circle around the island while you listen to its harrowing stories.
Check out the deals below.
Additional Resources
The movie Escape from Alcatraz was based on this 1962 Alcatraz escape attempt. Clint Eastwood played the part of Frank Lee Morris.
You can find out even more about these escape attempts and others in these escapes from Alcatraz books and movies. In addition to the one listed above, another one of my favorites on the topic is the Escape from Alcatraz book by J. Campbell Bruce.
Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
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It's a great place to interact with me and others who know the area well.
You can ask questions, get advice for your upcoming stay, and then share your photos and advice with others when you return home. It's a great community and the fastest way to get answers to those nagging questions about your visit!
