The Impossible Prison Break - Alcatraz Escape

FBI officers were shocked to discover that even if a prisoner were left free in that prison, escaping would still be nearly impossible. So how did three prisoners manage to escape right under the noses of the authorities? Even more surprising was that for the next 10 hours, the prison authorities had no idea that they were missing.

Not only the FBI, but three top-level agencies also worked tirelessly to solve this case. We’re talking about a prison break that has remained unsolved for over 60 years and has become a mystery to the world.

This story takes us to a small island in the Pacific Ocean, spread over just 22 acres. Despite its size, it once held some of the world’s most dangerous criminals. Built on a massive rock in the middle of the sea, it was famously known as “The Rock.” Surrounded by ocean waters, strong winds, and high waves, the island also had a 15-foot-high fence and 24/7 monitoring.

In 1934, it was declared a federal prison with maximum security. In short, once you entered this prison, escaping on your own was considered impossible.

But on July 12, 1962, that belief was shattered.

Three prisoners managed to escape by cleverly deceiving the prison’s security system. The main figures in this story were brothers John and Clarence Anglin, and Frank Morris. They were all imprisoned for bank robbery. Another prisoner, Allen West—who had a history of escape attempts—was also part of the plan.

The idea to escape was originally proposed by Allen West in 1960. He had discovered a weak spot in the prison’s structure in Block B that could potentially be used to escape. Eventually, all four prisoners managed to get transferred to Block B and secretly worked on their plan for nearly two years.

On the morning of July 12, during the routine headcount, three prisoners were found missing. When guards checked their cells, they saw what looked like the prisoners sleeping in their beds. But when they tried to wake them, they discovered dummy heads made of soap, plaster, and concrete—complete with real hair stolen from the prison barber shop.

The prisoners had already escaped.

Investigators later discovered that the men had enlarged small ventilation holes in their cells using stolen spoons and a homemade drill made from a vacuum cleaner motor. They hid their work by placing objects like musical instruments in front of the holes and worked mostly during noisy hours.

Behind the walls was an unguarded corridor leading to a utility pipe that took them to the roof. From there, they climbed down, crossed the prison fence, and made their way to the shore.

They had also prepared an inflatable raft made from stolen raincoats, along with makeshift life jackets.

Interestingly, Allen West failed to escape because he couldn’t widen his hole in time. Realizing he was left behind, he revealed the entire plan to investigators.

According to him, the escapees planned to reach Angel Island first and then move to the mainland, where they would steal clothes and a car.

Massive search operations were launched by the FBI, Coast Guard, and other agencies—but no trace of the prisoners was found.

Some items were later discovered floating in the ocean, including parts of the raft and personal belongings like photos and letters. This led investigators to believe the men may have drowned. However, no bodies were ever found.

There were also theories that the prisoners survived. Family members claimed they received secret messages, and one relative even reported seeing the Anglin brothers in Brazil years later. But these claims were never officially confirmed.

The prison was closed the following year. In 1979, the FBI officially ended its investigation. However, the U.S. Marshals Service still considers the case open.

Today, the island has been turned into a national park, where visitors can see the very cells from which one of the most mysterious prison escapes in history took place.