Alcatraz Escapees Survive - Three men who made an audacious jail break from the notorious Alcatraz prison in 1962 may have survived the icy waters and tides of San Francisco Bay.
According to a new study conducted by a team of Dutch scientists, the Alcatraz escapees Frank Morris and brothers Clarence and John Anglin, may have survived. Reports indicate that after crawling through tunnels, the three prisoners dug with spoons for years and sailed the frigid waters on a raft made from stolen raincoats.
Researchers used computer models to reconstruct the tides, winds and other factors of San Francisco Bay that may have affected the Alcatraz escapees. On June 11th, 1962, the prisoners escaped from the famous Alcaraz prison, which has held many notorious and high profile criminals, including Al Capone, Whitey Bulger and Mickey Cohen.
Contrary to the official version of the incident, which has been held for about 50 years, that the men drowned either in the Bay or the Pacific Ocean, new data suggests that they stood a chance of making to the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge.
"If they hit it exactly at midnight, the beautiful thing is that we see that they would have been sucked out towards the Golden Gate Bridge," said Dr. Rolf Hut, a scientist from Delft University of Technology in Netherlands, who participated in the research.
"But the moment they were close to the Golden Gate would have been the moment the tide reverses," another researcher told the BBC.
Reports indicate that this turn of events would have taken the Alcatraz escapees to Horseshoe Bay and to land in Marin headlands, located on the northern side of the bridge.
The bodies of the Alcatraz escapees were never found. There have been many unconfirmed sightings of the men throughout the years.
Researchers say the revelations based on the computer models do not conclusively assert that the Alcatraz escapees survived. However, the model points to the fact that it may have been possible that they reached freedom, which is consistent with parts of the FBI's investigations and evidence of the daring jail break.
"The model predicts that any debris would then float back into the bay in the direction of Angel Island, exactly where the FBI found a paddle and some personal belongings," said Dr. Fedor Baart, a hydraulic engineer at Deltares.
"Of course, this doesn't prove this was what really happened, but the latest and best hydraulic modeling information indicate that it was certainly possible," Dr Hut said.
Authorities have led a 17-year investigation into the now legendary jail break. Results suggest that the Alcatraz escapees most likely drowned while sailing on the Bay.
The FBI maintains that there have been no confirmed reports of the three men being alive either in the U.S. or abroad.
The team of Dutch hydraulic experts says they chose to investigate into the Alcatraz escapees' jail break because they were modeling San Francisco Bay in order to study risks and the effects of sea-level-rise.
The team is scheduled to present their Alcaraz escapees findings at the 47th annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union, which would be held in San Francisco on Dec.16.
