The Impossible Prison Break - Alcatraz Escape

FBI officers were stunned. This was a prison where even if a prisoner was left out in the open, escape seemed impossible. Yet somehow, right under the noses of the authorities, three inmates managed to break out. What was even more shocking was that for nearly 10 hours, the prison authorities had no idea they were missing.

Not only the FBI, but three top-level agencies were involved in trying to solve this case. We are talking about a prison break that, even after more than 60 years, remains not just unsolved—but a complete mystery to the world.

In the Pacific Ocean stood a small island spread over just 22 acres. It housed some of the most dangerous criminals in the world. Built on a massive rock in the middle of the sea, it was famously known as “The Rock.” Surrounded by cold, rough ocean waters and protected by 15-foot-high fences, with guards monitoring 24/7, escape seemed impossible. Because of its extreme security, it was declared a federal prison in 1934. Once a prisoner entered Alcatraz, getting out on your own was considered impossible.

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

Three prisoners escaped by cleverly deceiving the prison’s tight security.

The key figures in this story were John and Clarence Anglin, two brothers imprisoned for bank robbery, and Frank Morris, who had been in and out of prison since he was 13 and was also serving time for robbery. Another inmate, Allen West, had attempted several prison escapes before and was transferred to Alcatraz for maximum security.

The escape idea was originally Allen West’s. In 1960, he discovered a small ventilation opening in Cell Block B that might offer a possible way out. The four men worked to be transferred to Block B, and eventually succeeded.

For nearly two years, they secretly prepared their plan inside their cells without anyone noticing.

On the morning of July 12, 1962, during the routine headcount, three prisoners were reported missing. When guards checked their cells, they saw what looked like the inmates sleeping in their beds. But when they tried to wake them, they discovered something shocking—dummy heads made of soap, plaster, and concrete mixtures were lying on the pillows. The prisoners had escaped.

The escapees had enlarged the small 5-by-9-inch ventilation holes in their cells using stolen spoons from the kitchen. Later, they even created a makeshift drill from a vacuum cleaner motor. They worked during musical hours when noise would cover the sound of digging.

The vent openings led to an unguarded corridor and then up a pipe to the roof of Block B. From there, they climbed down and crossed the 15-foot fence.

They had prepared an inflatable raft made from stolen prison raincoats, stitching them together carefully. They also made life jackets from the same material.

Allen West, however, failed to escape because he couldn’t widen his vent hole enough in time. After being left behind, he revealed the entire escape plan to investigators.

The FBI, Coast Guard, Bureau of Prisons, and U.S. Marshals launched a massive search. But no bodies were found. No raft was recovered immediately.

Later, some pieces believed to be part of the raft were discovered floating in the ocean. Two raincoat bags containing personal belongings, including family photos and letters, were also found. This led investigators to believe the prisoners may have drowned, since such personal items would not have been abandoned easily.

However, no bodies ever surfaced.

Over the years, several theories emerged. Family members of the Anglin brothers claimed they were still alive. A relative even reported seeing them in Brazil years later and took a photograph. But investigators could not confirm the identities in the photo.

In 1963, Alcatraz prison was closed. In 1979, the FBI officially ended its investigation. However, the U.S. Marshals Service still keeps the case open, and it will remain open until the men are found—dead or alive—or would have reached the age of 99.

Today, Alcatraz Island is a national park and a tourist attraction. Visitors can walk through Block B and see the very cells where, more than 60 years ago, John and Clarence Anglin, Frank Morris, and Allen West once lived—and where one of the greatest prison escape mysteries in history began.