1 00:00:02,419 --> 00:00:05,172 -in front of nail-biting crowds. -(crowd gasping) 2 00:00:05,255 --> 00:00:07,549 A miraculous survival 3 00:00:07,633 --> 00:00:10,469 in a mile-high death trap. 4 00:00:10,511 --> 00:00:15,349 And a jail break that defies impossible odds. 5 00:00:16,517 --> 00:00:20,145 What is it about the act of escaping captivity 6 00:00:20,229 --> 00:00:21,730 that fascinates us? 7 00:00:21,813 --> 00:00:25,150 Is it because we have an innate fear 8 00:00:25,234 --> 00:00:27,528 of being trapped against our will? 9 00:00:27,611 --> 00:00:31,281 Or could it be that we all possess a collective desire 10 00:00:31,365 --> 00:00:34,409 to run away and change our lives? 11 00:00:34,493 --> 00:00:36,828 Well... 12 00:00:36,912 --> 00:00:40,832 that is what we'll try and find out. 13 00:00:40,874 --> 00:00:46,043 THE UNXPLAINED - SEASON 2 00:01:49,276 And that was really the beginning of his magic career. 29 00:01:49,359 --> 00:01:50,611 Houdini would come to town 30 00:01:50,694 --> 00:01:52,988 and he would challenge police officers and locksmiths 31 00:01:53,030 --> 00:01:54,489 to bring their best locks. 32 00:01:54,531 --> 00:01:58,160 He would put himself in these locks and he would escape them 33 00:01:58,201 --> 00:02:01,455 onstage in front of a live audience. 34 00:02:01,538 --> 00:02:05,917 Houdini's real power and his gift was his-his showmanship, 35 00:02:05,959 --> 00:02:10,881 his presentation, his ability to mesmerize an audience, 36 00:02:10,964 --> 00:02:12,716 to connect with them. 37 00:02:12,799 --> 00:02:16,386 Because here was this small immigrant man 38 00:02:16,470 --> 00:02:18,639 that conquered all his fears, 39 00:02:18,722 --> 00:02:21,433 that could do things that nobody else could do. 40 00:02:21,516 --> 00:02:25,145 And so, he would have this power over his audiences 41 00:02:25,187 --> 00:02:29,107 in a way that's never been achieved since. 42 00:02:32,944 --> 00:02:34,488 SHATNER: Over the course of his career, 43 00:02:34,571 --> 00:02:38,075 Houdini performed thousands of death-defying escapes. 44 00:02:38,158 --> 00:02:40,911 But of all his astounding feats, 45 00:02:40,994 --> 00:02:45,207 one was considered more dangerous and more impossible 46 00:02:45,290 --> 00:02:49,086 than the rest. 47 00:02:49,169 --> 00:02:51,630 Houdini depended on publicity stunts to draw people 48 00:02:51,713 --> 00:02:53,298 to the vaudeville theater to see him. 49 00:02:53,340 --> 00:02:55,884 The greatest of those publicity stunts 50 00:02:55,967 --> 00:02:57,469 was "the overboard box escape." 51 00:02:57,552 --> 00:03:00,514 He started it in 1912 in New York. 52 00:03:00,597 --> 00:03:04,476 COX: He announced that he would be doing this escape from a pier 53 00:03:04,559 --> 00:03:08,105 and a massive crowd assembled to watch this. 54 00:03:08,188 --> 00:03:10,482 And Houdini showed up with his assistants, 55 00:03:10,565 --> 00:03:12,651 with the reporters, with his packing crate. 56 00:03:12,693 --> 00:03:14,820 And the police also showed up and they said, 57 00:03:14,903 --> 00:03:17,322 "You can't do that. There's laws against that." 58 00:03:17,364 --> 00:03:21,284 Houdini decided to rent a tugboat on his own 59 00:03:21,368 --> 00:03:24,871 out to the middle of the East River. 60 00:03:24,955 --> 00:03:27,332 There they started the process 61 00:03:27,416 --> 00:03:29,292 of locking him up in the handcuffs, 62 00:03:29,376 --> 00:03:32,796 locking him up in the leg irons, 63 00:03:32,879 --> 00:03:35,215 tying him up with the heavy rope, 64 00:03:35,298 --> 00:03:39,428 putting him inside this escape-proof wooden crate. 65 00:03:40,595 --> 00:03:43,849 Nailing the lid on so it couldn't be opened. 66 00:03:43,932 --> 00:03:45,559 And even that wasn't enough. 67 00:03:45,642 --> 00:03:51,231 Then they tied the packing crate up with this heavy, strong rope. 68 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:57,738 Because the box had a number of air holes all around it 69 00:03:57,821 --> 00:03:59,781 and because it was weighted on the outside 70 00:03:59,865 --> 00:04:01,324 with 180 pounds of iron, 71 00:04:01,408 --> 00:04:03,326 it would quickly sink into the water. 72 00:04:03,410 --> 00:04:05,036 The water would go inside of the box 73 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:06,496 and, of course, Houdini with it. 74 00:04:06,580 --> 00:04:08,248 Everyone who worked with him knew 75 00:04:08,331 --> 00:04:09,666 that it was a dangerous feat. 76 00:04:09,750 --> 00:04:11,894 The story was that they used to hold their breath with him 77 00:04:11,918 --> 00:04:13,336 because they used to anticipate 78 00:04:13,420 --> 00:04:15,464 how long he would be under the water. 79 00:04:17,799 --> 00:04:19,134 And about a minute later... 80 00:04:19,217 --> 00:04:20,719 ? ? 81 00:04:20,802 --> 00:04:24,473 ...suddenly Houdini would bob to the surface free, 82 00:04:24,514 --> 00:04:28,351 completely free of the box and the handcuffs. 83 00:04:28,435 --> 00:04:30,288 And what's amazing about the overboard box escape 84 00:04:30,312 --> 00:04:32,814 is that when the box was hauled up, it was still locked. 85 00:04:32,898 --> 00:04:34,399 It was still nailed shut. 86 00:04:34,483 --> 00:04:37,569 And when it was opened up, the handcuffs were found inside, 87 00:04:37,652 --> 00:04:39,237 also closed. 88 00:04:41,573 --> 00:04:45,952 How did he escape from this wooden packing crate 89 00:04:46,036 --> 00:04:47,662 into the river 90 00:04:47,704 --> 00:04:50,999 and nothing was touched, nothing was damaged? 91 00:04:51,082 --> 00:04:53,418 All in less than 60 seconds. 92 00:04:53,502 --> 00:04:55,796 That is beyond belief. 93 00:04:57,506 --> 00:05:00,801 SHATNER: It was indeed beyond belief. 94 00:05:00,842 --> 00:05:03,386 Over the next several years, 95 00:05:03,470 --> 00:05:05,472 Houdini would repeat this incredible escape 96 00:05:05,555 --> 00:05:09,935 countless times, and for audiences all over the world. 97 00:05:10,018 --> 00:05:14,314 How did he do it? 98 00:05:14,356 --> 00:05:16,149 It was such a great escape 99 00:05:16,233 --> 00:05:19,986 and it mystified audiences everywhere. 100 00:05:20,070 --> 00:05:21,988 But Houdini had his skeptics. 101 00:05:22,072 --> 00:05:24,157 They wanted to expose him. 102 00:05:24,241 --> 00:05:25,992 They wanted to explain how he did it. 103 00:05:26,076 --> 00:05:27,911 They figured Houdini would sneak in 104 00:05:27,994 --> 00:05:31,665 during the middle of the night and-and cut a little trap door, 105 00:05:31,748 --> 00:05:35,085 or have an escape panel that he could get out of it some way 106 00:05:35,168 --> 00:05:37,420 that nobody knew about. 107 00:05:37,504 --> 00:05:39,631 Let's just say for the sake of argument 108 00:05:39,714 --> 00:05:42,217 that he did use short nails or trick knots 109 00:05:42,300 --> 00:05:44,052 to escape his contraption. 110 00:05:44,135 --> 00:05:47,264 How is it possible that he got out of his handcuffs, 111 00:05:47,347 --> 00:05:48,598 out of his leg irons, 112 00:05:48,682 --> 00:05:52,227 put the box back together again, tied it all back up, 113 00:05:52,310 --> 00:05:56,439 all within 57 seconds while holding his breath? 114 00:05:56,523 --> 00:06:00,569 Houdini would invite anyone on stage to examine the nails, 115 00:06:00,652 --> 00:06:02,946 to handle the nails, to put in your own nails. 116 00:06:03,029 --> 00:06:04,823 And you might also suggest, 117 00:06:04,865 --> 00:06:08,326 was Houdini ever in the packing crate in the first place? 118 00:06:08,410 --> 00:06:10,829 He was in that these had holes in them, 119 00:06:10,912 --> 00:06:13,498 and he would poke his finger out and they would see 120 00:06:13,540 --> 00:06:15,917 and even as he would be raised, 121 00:06:15,959 --> 00:06:20,130 he would poke a little American flag or something out. 122 00:06:20,171 --> 00:06:23,466 So you could see from the time that it went under the waves, 123 00:06:23,508 --> 00:06:26,386 that there was someone inside that-that packing crate. 124 00:06:26,469 --> 00:06:29,431 SHATNER: While there are many theories, 125 00:06:29,514 --> 00:06:31,016 no one knows for certain 126 00:06:31,099 --> 00:06:36,855 how Houdini pulled off his overboard box escape. 127 00:06:36,938 --> 00:06:40,692 Even master escape artists-- many of whom spent decades 128 00:06:40,775 --> 00:06:43,445 studying Houdini's tricks and techniques-- 129 00:06:43,528 --> 00:06:46,406 are still trying to figure it out. 130 00:06:46,489 --> 00:06:50,076 Often with deadly results. 131 00:06:51,995 --> 00:06:55,999 GUNNARSON: Many people have died doing this escape. 132 00:06:56,082 --> 00:06:57,500 I mean, I was one of them. 133 00:06:57,584 --> 00:07:00,879 I'm-I'm living proof of how dangerous this escape is. 134 00:07:00,962 --> 00:07:04,424 In 1983, I decided to do 135 00:07:04,507 --> 00:07:07,093 my variation of the Houdini packing crate. 136 00:07:07,177 --> 00:07:08,970 (crowd cheering) 137 00:07:09,012 --> 00:07:10,639 I got all chained up and locked, 138 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:12,974 I got put into a wooden coffin, 139 00:07:13,058 --> 00:07:14,976 the lid was nailed on, 140 00:07:15,060 --> 00:07:16,895 it was wrapped and chained, 141 00:07:16,978 --> 00:07:22,400 and then the coffin was lowered into an icy river in Canada. 142 00:07:22,484 --> 00:07:24,986 (crowd cheering) 143 00:07:25,070 --> 00:07:26,154 And I didn't escape. 144 00:07:26,237 --> 00:07:28,156 I couldn't get out. 145 00:07:29,741 --> 00:07:33,662 I was underwater for nearly four minutes. 146 00:07:33,703 --> 00:07:37,415 They pulled the coffin out and my cold lifeless body 147 00:07:37,499 --> 00:07:39,417 was still inside that coffin. 148 00:07:39,501 --> 00:07:41,211 (crowd clamoring) 149 00:07:41,294 --> 00:07:45,799 It was only the dedicated paramedics that were on standby 150 00:07:45,882 --> 00:07:47,008 that saved my life. 151 00:07:47,092 --> 00:07:51,805 I was a very lucky young escape artist on that day. 152 00:07:52,847 --> 00:07:54,975 SHATNER: For nearly a century since his death, 153 00:07:55,058 --> 00:07:57,310 magicians have tried and failed 154 00:07:57,394 --> 00:08:00,146 to figure out just how Harry Houdini 155 00:08:00,230 --> 00:08:03,441 managed this incredible escape. 156 00:08:03,525 --> 00:08:06,611 But there are some who believe that the reason 157 00:08:06,695 --> 00:08:08,822 for their failure is simple: 158 00:08:08,863 --> 00:08:11,282 they never considered that Houdini 159 00:08:11,366 --> 00:08:14,786 was capable of performing "real magic." 160 00:08:16,663 --> 00:08:18,724 One of Houdini's great friends was Arthur Conan Doyle, 161 00:08:18,748 --> 00:08:20,208 the author of Sherlock Holmes. 162 00:08:20,291 --> 00:08:23,128 Conan Doyle believed very strongly in spiritualism 163 00:08:23,169 --> 00:08:24,838 and he saw a number of things 164 00:08:24,921 --> 00:08:28,550 that he considered evidence that Houdini was actually a psychic 165 00:08:28,633 --> 00:08:31,302 and was dematerializing out of his escapes. 166 00:08:31,386 --> 00:08:32,971 He always chided Houdini that he should 167 00:08:33,013 --> 00:08:35,432 be honest with his audience and tell them 168 00:08:35,515 --> 00:08:37,809 not only that he has these powers, 169 00:08:37,851 --> 00:08:40,979 but that these powers exist for everyone to share. 170 00:08:42,188 --> 00:08:45,859 Sir Arthur firmly believed that Houdini was supernatural 171 00:08:45,942 --> 00:08:48,987 and he could not be talked out of this by Houdini. 172 00:08:49,029 --> 00:08:51,990 But Houdini went out of his way to say, 173 00:08:52,032 --> 00:08:54,325 "There was nothing supernatural about my feats. 174 00:08:54,367 --> 00:08:56,870 My brain is the key that sets me free." 175 00:08:56,953 --> 00:08:59,497 That was what Houdini would say over and over again. 176 00:09:01,082 --> 00:09:06,004 SHATNER: "My brain is the key that sets me free." 177 00:09:06,087 --> 00:09:08,882 Could the secret to Houdini's incredible feats 178 00:09:08,965 --> 00:09:13,303 really have been revealed in that simple phrase? 179 00:09:13,344 --> 00:09:17,140 Did the magician have such an incredible control over his mind 180 00:09:17,182 --> 00:09:21,436 that he could command his body to perform the impossible? 181 00:09:21,519 --> 00:09:23,313 We may never know. 182 00:09:23,396 --> 00:09:26,149 On October 31, 1926, 183 00:09:26,191 --> 00:09:30,862 Harry Houdini died of a ruptured appendix at the age of 52, 184 00:09:30,945 --> 00:09:33,656 taking many of his secrets to his grave. 185 00:09:33,740 --> 00:09:36,618 But whether his astounding escapes were made possible 186 00:09:36,701 --> 00:09:38,286 by clever devices, 187 00:09:38,369 --> 00:09:41,039 impressive physical skill, 188 00:09:41,122 --> 00:09:44,459 or what some might call "real magic," 189 00:09:44,501 --> 00:09:46,795 Harry Houdini remains the most mysterious, 190 00:09:46,878 --> 00:09:52,842 and unexplained, magician in history. 191 00:10:02,018 --> 00:10:04,437 After ten years of Fidel Castro'sSHATN: 192 00:10:04,521 --> 00:10:06,106 tightfisted Communist rule, 193 00:10:06,189 --> 00:10:10,110 the island nation's economy is in chaos. 194 00:10:10,193 --> 00:10:12,654 Food shortages, 195 00:10:12,737 --> 00:10:15,740 and a government-mandated seven-day workweek, 196 00:10:15,824 --> 00:10:18,493 only serve to heighten the Cuban people's 197 00:10:18,576 --> 00:10:21,329 sense of desperation and despair. 198 00:10:23,123 --> 00:10:25,750 Many attempt to flee Castro's oppressive regime, 199 00:10:25,834 --> 00:10:30,964 only to be caught, imprisoned or killed. 200 00:10:33,049 --> 00:10:36,636 But for 17-year-old Armando Socarras, 201 00:10:36,678 --> 00:10:40,056 the chance for freedom and a better life 202 00:10:40,140 --> 00:10:43,852 are worth the risk. 203 00:10:43,935 --> 00:10:46,396 The political climate in Cuba, 1969, 204 00:10:46,479 --> 00:10:49,107 was at the peak of the oppression. 205 00:11:30,190 --> 00:11:31,983 SHATNER: The plan was indeed dangerous. 206 00:11:32,025 --> 00:11:34,903 If they were caught, it meant prison or worse. 207 00:11:34,986 --> 00:11:38,489 If they weren't, they might die trying. 208 00:11:38,531 --> 00:11:40,825 But after some careful reconnaissance, 209 00:11:40,867 --> 00:11:45,079 Armando believed that he and his friend could pull it off. 210 00:11:45,163 --> 00:11:48,750 And on the morning of June 4, 1969, 211 00:11:48,833 --> 00:11:52,629 their bold plan would be put into action. 212 00:11:54,923 --> 00:12:00,136 Iberia Flight 904 was scheduled to depart Havana at 6:30 p. m., 213 00:12:00,220 --> 00:12:04,224 arriving in Madrid, Spain nine hours later. 214 00:12:04,307 --> 00:12:08,436 The DC-8 airplane was already taxiing to the end of the runway 215 00:12:08,519 --> 00:12:12,148 when Armando and his friend crawled through the tall grass 216 00:12:12,232 --> 00:12:15,944 bordering the runway, ready to make a break for it. 217 00:13:33,688 --> 00:13:36,357 SHATNER: Lodged inside the wheel well, 218 00:13:36,441 --> 00:13:38,526 and dangerously outside 219 00:13:38,609 --> 00:13:40,737 the pressurized sections of the airplane, 220 00:13:40,820 --> 00:13:43,031 Armando began falling out of consciousness 221 00:13:43,114 --> 00:13:49,245 as the air outside screamed by at nearly 600 miles an hour. 222 00:13:49,329 --> 00:13:51,039 JOHN NANCE: Normally the cruising altitude 223 00:13:51,122 --> 00:13:53,708 on a trip as far as Havana to Madrid, 224 00:13:53,791 --> 00:13:57,211 you'd probably be up around 37 to 39,000 feet. 225 00:13:57,295 --> 00:14:00,798 At 37,000 feet, for somebody who has just experienced 226 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:03,634 a rapid decompression, your time of useful consciousness 227 00:14:03,676 --> 00:14:06,387 is as little as eight seconds. 228 00:14:06,471 --> 00:14:09,390 At that altitude, you're going to be around temperatures 229 00:14:09,474 --> 00:14:12,518 that are in -45 to -50 degrees Fahrenheit. 230 00:14:25,365 --> 00:14:27,241 SHATNER: Nine hours after taking off in Havana, 231 00:14:27,325 --> 00:14:31,621 Iberia Flight 904 landed in Madrid. 232 00:14:31,704 --> 00:14:33,831 And as the captain stood on the tarmac 233 00:14:33,915 --> 00:14:36,000 saying goodbye to his passengers, 234 00:14:36,084 --> 00:14:40,129 Armando's unconscious body fell from the wheel well 235 00:14:40,171 --> 00:14:43,091 onto the ground with a sickening thud. 236 00:15:28,052 --> 00:15:30,513 SHATNER: Incredible as it seems, for Armando, 237 00:15:30,596 --> 00:15:36,436 surviving in a mile-high death trap was, indeed, possible. 238 00:15:36,519 --> 00:15:38,938 But how? 239 00:15:39,021 --> 00:15:42,483 Medically, you're not dead until you're warm and dead. 240 00:15:42,567 --> 00:15:46,988 Armando was found without vital signs, he was hypothermic. 241 00:15:47,071 --> 00:15:50,741 I think what happened is because of the severe hypothermia, 242 00:15:50,825 --> 00:15:53,619 his cardiac function decreased. 243 00:15:53,703 --> 00:15:57,457 The blood flow to the brain and organs decreased. 244 00:15:57,540 --> 00:16:00,501 There are reports and cases of people being found 245 00:16:00,585 --> 00:16:02,170 in the snow and ice, 246 00:16:02,253 --> 00:16:06,591 frozen without any vital signs, that have made a full recovery. 247 00:16:06,674 --> 00:16:10,303 TAYLOR: There's a thing called the mammalian response. 248 00:16:10,386 --> 00:16:13,264 If we reach certain cold temperatures, 249 00:16:13,347 --> 00:16:17,477 our bodies shut down instead of degrading and dying. 250 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:19,020 It just goes into hibernation. 251 00:16:19,103 --> 00:16:20,855 Well, this is what happened to Armando. 252 00:16:20,938 --> 00:16:23,858 When he gets up to the 30,000-foot atmosphere 253 00:16:23,941 --> 00:16:25,568 and he has no air to breathe, 254 00:16:25,651 --> 00:16:29,197 or just a tiny amount of air, he goes into hypothermia 255 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:30,990 and then when the plane lands, 256 00:16:31,032 --> 00:16:34,911 his body starts to warm up and then he comes back to. 257 00:16:34,994 --> 00:16:41,334 SHATNER: Could Armando's amazing story of survival really be attributed 258 00:16:41,375 --> 00:16:45,379 to the act of being frozen and then defrosted back to life? 259 00:16:45,463 --> 00:16:51,135 Or might there be another even more profound explanation? 260 00:17:13,616 --> 00:17:17,620 SHATNER: Was Armando's life saved by the simple act of falling asleep? 261 00:17:17,703 --> 00:17:20,915 There are many who will tell you that it's the very lack of fear 262 00:17:20,998 --> 00:17:23,584 and panic that can help us to survive 263 00:17:23,668 --> 00:17:26,379 even in the most life-threatening situations. 264 00:17:26,462 --> 00:17:31,175 In any case, Armando successfully cheated death 265 00:17:31,259 --> 00:17:33,886 and lived to tell his story. 266 00:17:33,970 --> 00:17:37,223 Not unlike the story of a man who escaped 267 00:17:37,306 --> 00:17:39,892 not high above the Earth in an airplane, 268 00:17:39,976 --> 00:17:44,146 but from deep underwater in a submarine. 269 00:17:55,324 --> 00:17:58,387 SHATNER: As World War II rages throughout Europe, GEORGE MALCOLMSON: When it struck the mine, 270 00:17:58,411 --> 00:18:02,164 British Royal Navy submarine HMS Perseus 271 00:18:02,248 --> 00:18:06,377 is patrolling the waters off the coast of Greece. 272 00:18:06,502 --> 00:18:09,088 With both German and Italian forces occupying Greece, 273 00:18:09,171 --> 00:18:11,632 and the threat of underwater mines lurking, 274 00:18:11,716 --> 00:18:14,677 it is a dangerous mission. 275 00:18:16,262 --> 00:18:20,308 HMS Perseus is a 260-foot submarine. 276 00:18:21,851 --> 00:18:26,439 Uh, she's on a mission, sailing from Malta to Alexandria. 277 00:18:26,522 --> 00:18:32,153 HMS Perseus carried 58 crew and two passengers. 278 00:18:32,236 --> 00:18:34,030 SHATNER: One of those two passengers 279 00:18:34,113 --> 00:18:36,324 is a sailor by the name of John Capes. 280 00:18:36,365 --> 00:18:38,451 He had hitched a ride aboard the submarine 281 00:18:38,534 --> 00:18:41,495 so that he could return to his home base in Alexandria, 282 00:18:41,537 --> 00:18:43,748 where the Perseus was scheduled to dock 283 00:18:43,831 --> 00:18:46,626 after its mission was complete. 284 00:18:46,709 --> 00:18:49,712 During the night, the submarine comes up 285 00:18:49,837 --> 00:18:52,048 to charge its batteries, 286 00:18:52,173 --> 00:18:55,176 so that it can operate underwater during the day. 287 00:18:55,259 --> 00:18:57,887 And they go along very slowly, 288 00:18:58,012 --> 00:19:00,306 keeping a very, very sharp lookout. 289 00:19:00,348 --> 00:19:02,600 SHATNER: At approximately 10:00 p. m., 290 00:19:02,683 --> 00:19:06,228 the crew of the Perseus was awakened by a violent explosion. 291 00:19:09,106 --> 00:19:12,860 And everyone on board scrambled for their lives. 292 00:19:12,943 --> 00:19:15,154 CLAYTON: She hits a mine, which made 293 00:19:15,196 --> 00:19:18,074 a big hole in the bowels of the vessel, 294 00:19:18,157 --> 00:19:21,827 so that it sank very, very fast 295 00:19:21,869 --> 00:19:24,789 towards the bottom. 296 00:19:24,872 --> 00:19:27,667 John Capes happened to be in the safest place on the boat, 297 00:19:27,708 --> 00:19:30,961 the place that was furthest away from the explosion. 298 00:19:31,003 --> 00:19:33,464 Capes is suddenly jolted awake. 299 00:19:33,506 --> 00:19:35,925 He kind of gets himself together, 300 00:19:36,008 --> 00:19:38,094 realizes what's happened. 301 00:19:38,177 --> 00:19:41,764 And he goes forward to see what he can find. 302 00:19:43,599 --> 00:19:47,603 SHATNER: With only moments to spare, Capes has to act fast. 303 00:19:47,687 --> 00:19:50,648 Fortunately, he finds a potential lifeline 304 00:19:50,690 --> 00:19:54,151 in the form of an emergency escape suit, 305 00:19:54,235 --> 00:19:56,237 which is designed to protect sailors 306 00:19:56,362 --> 00:19:59,615 against the effects of water pressure. 307 00:19:59,699 --> 00:20:03,577 Exiting the submarine at a depth of some 170 feet, 308 00:20:03,661 --> 00:20:06,664 Capes and one of the crew's sailors 309 00:20:06,706 --> 00:20:09,625 desperately attempt to make their way to the surface. 310 00:20:09,709 --> 00:20:12,128 As if surviving both the explosion 311 00:20:12,169 --> 00:20:14,964 and death by drowning weren't enough, 312 00:20:15,047 --> 00:20:18,342 the tremendous weight of the water leaves them vulnerable 313 00:20:18,426 --> 00:20:22,722 to a potentially fatal condition dreaded by deep-sea divers 314 00:20:22,805 --> 00:20:25,683 known as the bends. 315 00:20:27,309 --> 00:20:30,438 The bends is similar to opening up a can of soda. 316 00:20:30,521 --> 00:20:33,691 When you open up a can of soda, the gas that's in the liquid, 317 00:20:33,774 --> 00:20:38,320 which is carbon dioxide, all of a sudden starts releasing, 318 00:20:38,446 --> 00:20:41,031 bubbling to the top of the can of soda. 319 00:20:41,115 --> 00:20:44,618 So, the nitrogen that's in the body does the same thing. 320 00:20:44,702 --> 00:20:47,329 So when you ascend too fast, the nitrogen that's built up 321 00:20:47,371 --> 00:20:49,540 in the body tries to escape, 322 00:20:49,623 --> 00:20:53,002 and this can bubble out into any of the organs, 323 00:20:53,127 --> 00:20:55,463 including the heart, the brain, the lungs. 324 00:20:55,504 --> 00:20:57,757 It can cause malfunction. 325 00:20:57,840 --> 00:20:59,467 It can also kill you. 326 00:21:00,634 --> 00:21:02,678 SHATNER: Even though his escape suit was not rated 327 00:21:02,762 --> 00:21:06,015 to handle water pressure deeper than a hundred feet, 328 00:21:06,140 --> 00:21:09,018 John Capes's will to survive was formidable. 329 00:21:09,101 --> 00:21:11,020 In spite of everything, 330 00:21:11,145 --> 00:21:13,355 including the bends... 331 00:21:14,523 --> 00:21:18,486 ...he made it to the surface alive. 332 00:21:18,527 --> 00:21:20,696 MALCOLMSON: Capes made quite a swim. 333 00:21:20,780 --> 00:21:25,826 I think it was about six miles or so swimming. 334 00:21:25,910 --> 00:21:27,870 He reaches a rocky beach, 335 00:21:27,953 --> 00:21:31,665 manages to drag himself ashore, 336 00:21:31,707 --> 00:21:34,668 and collapses. 337 00:21:34,752 --> 00:21:37,338 It's amazing that 338 00:21:37,463 --> 00:21:40,716 John Capes' lungs did not explode, 339 00:21:40,800 --> 00:21:44,345 or at least hemorrhage badly, as he was surfacing. 340 00:21:44,428 --> 00:21:46,639 Maybe this guy was just lucky enough 341 00:21:46,764 --> 00:21:49,892 that he was resilient enough to survive. 342 00:21:52,478 --> 00:21:54,647 SHATNER: Against all odds, 343 00:21:54,730 --> 00:21:58,734 John Capes escaped what should have been a death sentence. 344 00:21:58,818 --> 00:22:03,072 He defied everything we know about both human physiology 345 00:22:03,197 --> 00:22:05,449 and the laws of physics. 346 00:22:05,533 --> 00:22:07,535 But how? 347 00:22:07,618 --> 00:22:10,496 So, in the British Navy, for a long, long time, 348 00:22:10,579 --> 00:22:13,499 there had been an alcohol ration every day. 349 00:22:13,541 --> 00:22:17,086 And the rum was 95% proof. 350 00:22:17,169 --> 00:22:18,838 And in order to settle his nerves, 351 00:22:18,921 --> 00:22:21,882 John Capes took a big swig out of his rum bottle. 352 00:22:22,007 --> 00:22:25,719 So I guess by the time that John Capes was actually leaving 353 00:22:25,803 --> 00:22:29,640 the submarine, he was more than a little bit drunk. 354 00:22:29,682 --> 00:22:31,475 TAYLOR: Actually, drinking alcohol 355 00:22:31,517 --> 00:22:33,477 might have helped him out-- it could have lowered 356 00:22:33,561 --> 00:22:35,271 his blood pressure a little bit, 357 00:22:35,354 --> 00:22:37,398 and it could have actually kept him calm. 358 00:22:37,481 --> 00:22:39,900 Both of those are things that you may need 359 00:22:40,025 --> 00:22:41,318 in this type of situation. 360 00:22:41,402 --> 00:22:43,404 You need to remain calm in an emergency, 361 00:22:43,487 --> 00:22:45,489 and your blood pressure was gonna get really high 362 00:22:45,531 --> 00:22:47,658 at some point, and so if you have a way 363 00:22:47,741 --> 00:22:49,869 to artificially bring it down some, 364 00:22:49,952 --> 00:22:51,161 I suspect that helped. 365 00:22:51,287 --> 00:22:54,290 SHATNER: Unfortunately, John Capes's story 366 00:22:54,373 --> 00:22:57,418 was so remarkable, so inexplicable, 367 00:22:57,501 --> 00:23:00,296 that many people didn't believe it was true. 368 00:23:00,379 --> 00:23:02,798 They even went so far as to question 369 00:23:02,882 --> 00:23:05,718 whether or not he'd ever been on the submarine 370 00:23:05,801 --> 00:23:08,304 in the first place. 371 00:23:08,345 --> 00:23:10,264 CLAYTON: People didn't believe that 372 00:23:10,347 --> 00:23:11,974 you could survive that... 373 00:23:12,057 --> 00:23:14,476 that escape from 170 feet, 374 00:23:14,518 --> 00:23:16,478 so there were all sorts of people 375 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:20,190 cast doubts on John Capes. 376 00:23:20,316 --> 00:23:24,153 And it wasn't until nearly 50 years later, 377 00:23:24,194 --> 00:23:28,699 when divers discovered the wreck of HMS Perseus, that... 378 00:23:28,782 --> 00:23:32,828 there was the hatch, opened... 379 00:23:32,870 --> 00:23:37,625 and John Capes's story was at last validated, 380 00:23:37,708 --> 00:23:41,879 and his... his behavior and his courage was rewarded. 381 00:23:44,590 --> 00:23:47,051 SHATNER: Whether it was a swig of alcohol 382 00:23:47,134 --> 00:23:49,011 or sheer willpower, 383 00:23:49,094 --> 00:23:53,599 something enabled John Capes to escape the fate that befell 384 00:23:53,682 --> 00:23:56,435 the HMS Perseus and its crew. 385 00:23:56,518 --> 00:24:00,898 We may never know exactly what saved him. 386 00:24:02,358 --> 00:24:03,651 Not unlike the case 387 00:24:03,734 --> 00:24:06,153 of another man who was able to escape 388 00:24:06,236 --> 00:24:08,572 an even more perilous situation, 389 00:24:08,656 --> 00:24:12,159 one that claimed the lives of thousands of people... 390 00:24:12,201 --> 00:24:13,994 on 9/11. 391 00:24:14,078 --> 00:24:15,996 (distant screams) 392 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:25,339 SHATNER: Brian Clark begins his workday 393 00:24:25,422 --> 00:24:27,383 like any other. 394 00:24:27,466 --> 00:24:29,718 He's an executive at Euro Brokers, 395 00:24:29,802 --> 00:24:34,598 located in the South Tower of the World Trade Center. 396 00:24:34,682 --> 00:24:36,558 But little does Brian know 397 00:24:36,642 --> 00:24:40,813 that a hellish nightmare is about to unfold. 398 00:24:40,854 --> 00:24:42,982 BRIAN CLARK: That particular morning, 399 00:24:43,065 --> 00:24:46,443 at 8:46, I was typing away at my keyboard... 400 00:24:47,319 --> 00:24:49,238 ...when I heard this loud... 401 00:24:49,321 --> 00:24:51,240 boom-boom explosion. 402 00:24:51,323 --> 00:24:53,951 -(explosion) -As I looked up, 403 00:24:54,034 --> 00:24:55,995 my peripheral vision caught something behind me. 404 00:24:56,078 --> 00:24:59,581 Right against the glass were swirling flames. 405 00:24:59,665 --> 00:25:02,334 And suddenly, all those flames dissipated, 406 00:25:02,418 --> 00:25:05,879 and out in the airspace, lots of newspapers 407 00:25:05,963 --> 00:25:09,383 and other computer papers were floating in the air. 408 00:25:09,466 --> 00:25:11,635 It was sort of a strange sight 409 00:25:11,677 --> 00:25:14,304 that I-I couldn't quite understand. 410 00:25:14,346 --> 00:25:16,890 SHATNER: Before he could even realize 411 00:25:16,974 --> 00:25:19,977 that an American Airlines 767 airplane 412 00:25:20,060 --> 00:25:21,395 had been deliberately flown 413 00:25:21,478 --> 00:25:23,981 into the World Trade Center's North Tower, 414 00:25:24,023 --> 00:25:27,860 Brian immediately sensed that this was no ordinary emergency. 415 00:25:27,943 --> 00:25:30,237 I knew in an instant it was terrorism. 416 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:32,489 I walked to our trading floor, 417 00:25:32,531 --> 00:25:35,159 and all the brokers had gathered at the north windows 418 00:25:35,242 --> 00:25:37,119 and were looking up nine floors 419 00:25:37,202 --> 00:25:39,329 at the 93rd floor next door, 420 00:25:39,371 --> 00:25:41,832 and flames all around the building. 421 00:25:41,874 --> 00:25:43,959 Didn't know what it was, 'cause nobody had seen 422 00:25:44,001 --> 00:25:45,961 the plane approach the North Tower. 423 00:25:46,003 --> 00:25:48,338 And I immediately called my wife and said, 424 00:25:48,422 --> 00:25:49,882 "Turn on the television. 425 00:25:49,965 --> 00:25:51,965 "Something's happened next door in the North Tower. 426 00:25:52,009 --> 00:25:54,595 I just want you to know that we are okay." 427 00:25:54,678 --> 00:25:56,597 -(alarm blaring) -The strobe lights 428 00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:58,724 in our entire floor flashed, 429 00:25:58,807 --> 00:26:01,977 and the siren gave a little whoop-whoop, 430 00:26:02,019 --> 00:26:04,563 and a familiar voice came over the public address system. 431 00:26:04,646 --> 00:26:06,732 MAN (over P. A.): Building two is secure. 432 00:26:06,815 --> 00:26:09,485 There is no need to evacuate building two. 433 00:26:09,526 --> 00:26:12,780 Repeat: Building two is secure. 434 00:26:13,781 --> 00:26:16,158 SHATNER: At 9:03 a. m., 435 00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:19,203 United Airlines Flight 175 436 00:26:19,286 --> 00:26:22,414 crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center, 437 00:26:22,498 --> 00:26:25,959 between the 77th and 85th floors. 438 00:26:26,001 --> 00:26:28,295 Which meant that Brian Clark's office, 439 00:26:28,337 --> 00:26:30,839 which was located on the 84th floor, 440 00:26:30,923 --> 00:26:33,634 was right in the impact zone. 441 00:26:38,347 --> 00:26:39,473 (screams) 442 00:26:39,556 --> 00:26:41,100 Everything fell apart-- 443 00:26:41,183 --> 00:26:42,810 ceiling tiles, the grid, 444 00:26:42,851 --> 00:26:45,979 air conditioning ducts, lighting, speakers, 445 00:26:46,063 --> 00:26:47,731 everything rained down. 446 00:26:47,815 --> 00:26:52,528 The air was immediately filled with gritty, horrible stuff. 447 00:26:52,611 --> 00:26:56,031 Our building moved, and I could hear the steel 448 00:26:56,115 --> 00:26:57,449 kind of "creak, creak." 449 00:26:57,533 --> 00:26:58,700 I was afraid. 450 00:26:58,784 --> 00:27:01,161 "Terrified" is perhaps a better word. 451 00:27:01,203 --> 00:27:02,913 (siren wailing) 452 00:27:02,996 --> 00:27:04,665 SHATNER: Amidst the chaos and confusion 453 00:27:04,706 --> 00:27:06,333 in the moments after impact, 454 00:27:06,375 --> 00:27:08,418 Brian was sure he was going to die. 455 00:27:08,502 --> 00:27:12,506 But as the building finally stopped trembling and swaying, 456 00:27:12,589 --> 00:27:14,800 he suddenly heard a strange, 457 00:27:14,842 --> 00:27:17,469 and oddly calming, voice in his head. 458 00:27:17,511 --> 00:27:19,429 (voice whispering indistinctly) 459 00:27:19,513 --> 00:27:21,807 Not my voice and not somebody else's voice. 460 00:27:21,890 --> 00:27:24,560 Just a feeling: "Brian, you're going to be fine." 461 00:27:24,643 --> 00:27:25,853 (man coughing) 462 00:27:25,936 --> 00:27:29,106 And I kind of sobered up and entered the hallway. 463 00:27:29,189 --> 00:27:32,818 My intention was to turn to the right, to Stairway C. 464 00:27:32,860 --> 00:27:35,028 As I got to that intersection, however-- 465 00:27:35,112 --> 00:27:37,406 and I can't explain this-- there was a push 466 00:27:37,489 --> 00:27:39,158 on my right shoulder. 467 00:27:39,241 --> 00:27:40,659 There was nobody there, 468 00:27:40,701 --> 00:27:42,703 but there was this feeling of somebody 469 00:27:42,786 --> 00:27:44,246 pushing me to the left. 470 00:27:45,330 --> 00:27:46,790 Stairway C was to my right, 471 00:27:46,874 --> 00:27:50,127 Stairway B was ahead of me, and Stairway A to my left. 472 00:27:50,169 --> 00:27:51,962 But with this push, 473 00:27:52,004 --> 00:27:54,965 I just went with it, and I went to Stairway A. 474 00:27:55,007 --> 00:27:57,259 -(alarm blaring) -SHATNER: Following the urging 475 00:27:57,342 --> 00:28:01,346 of this uncanny push, Brian chose Stairway A, 476 00:28:01,430 --> 00:28:06,226 and proceeded to try and escape by walking down the stairs. 477 00:28:06,310 --> 00:28:10,314 It was the most fateful decision of his life. 478 00:28:10,397 --> 00:28:11,982 CLARK: As I stepped off the stair 479 00:28:12,065 --> 00:28:14,943 onto the landing of the 81st floor, 480 00:28:15,027 --> 00:28:17,321 -I heard a banging noise. -(clanking nearby) 481 00:28:17,362 --> 00:28:20,657 As I strained a bit, I then heard this strange voice 482 00:28:20,741 --> 00:28:23,702 yelling, "Help! Help! I'm buried!" 483 00:28:24,703 --> 00:28:26,830 As I got closer to the voice, he was like, 484 00:28:26,872 --> 00:28:29,499 "Can you see my hand? Can you see my hand?" 485 00:28:29,541 --> 00:28:30,959 And suddenly, down near the floor, 486 00:28:31,001 --> 00:28:33,462 my light picked up this waving hand, 487 00:28:33,545 --> 00:28:36,131 and that person said, "Hallelujah! 488 00:28:36,173 --> 00:28:38,425 I've been saved!" And I put my hand out 489 00:28:38,508 --> 00:28:40,594 in front of him and said, "I'm Brian." 490 00:28:40,677 --> 00:28:42,471 He said, "I'm Stanley. 491 00:28:42,554 --> 00:28:43,972 We'll be brothers for life." 492 00:28:44,014 --> 00:28:47,935 I put my arm around Stanley and said, "Come on, let's go home." 493 00:28:48,018 --> 00:28:50,812 As I shone the light down the stairs, 494 00:28:50,854 --> 00:28:53,232 I only saw smoke sort of rolling up the stairs-- 495 00:28:53,315 --> 00:28:54,483 there was no flame-- 496 00:28:54,566 --> 00:28:56,610 and I took the first step down. 497 00:28:56,693 --> 00:28:58,779 And we continued on down. 498 00:28:58,862 --> 00:29:00,656 Down, down, down. 499 00:29:00,697 --> 00:29:02,741 We got all the way down to the Plaza Level. 500 00:29:02,824 --> 00:29:06,161 It was ashen gray, like a... an archeological site 501 00:29:06,203 --> 00:29:08,413 that had been abandoned for hundreds of years. 502 00:29:08,497 --> 00:29:10,666 Not a pleasant sight. 503 00:29:10,749 --> 00:29:12,668 GARRETT GRAFF: Brian Clark's story 504 00:29:12,751 --> 00:29:15,462 is one of the most remarkable of 9/11. 505 00:29:15,504 --> 00:29:19,299 He was one of just four people who survived that day 506 00:29:19,341 --> 00:29:22,427 from above the impact zone in the South Tower. 507 00:29:22,511 --> 00:29:27,557 And what is all the more remarkable about his story 508 00:29:27,641 --> 00:29:30,227 is the way that, of the three stairwells 509 00:29:30,310 --> 00:29:34,481 that he had to choose from, two were blocked and impassable 510 00:29:34,564 --> 00:29:36,775 and would have resulted in his death, 511 00:29:36,858 --> 00:29:39,653 and he ended up picking the one staircase 512 00:29:39,695 --> 00:29:43,156 that was free and open and led to safety. 513 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:45,867 ? ? 514 00:29:45,951 --> 00:29:47,494 SHATNER: Ever since that day, 515 00:29:47,577 --> 00:29:52,624 a single question has seared itself into Brian's mind. 516 00:29:52,708 --> 00:29:55,669 Why him? 517 00:29:55,752 --> 00:29:57,921 The way the two airplanes came into the building, 518 00:29:58,005 --> 00:30:00,799 uh, had a lot to do with the pattern of survival 519 00:30:00,882 --> 00:30:02,217 or lack of survival. 520 00:30:02,301 --> 00:30:04,511 In the South Tower, the airplane came in 521 00:30:04,594 --> 00:30:07,723 at a bit of an angle and was adjusting up to the last second, 522 00:30:07,806 --> 00:30:09,808 and that meant that the structural pieces 523 00:30:09,850 --> 00:30:11,610 that were disintegrating as they came through 524 00:30:11,685 --> 00:30:16,440 did not do a complete job of scything off all the stairways. 525 00:30:17,691 --> 00:30:19,484 ? ? 526 00:30:19,526 --> 00:30:21,862 SHATNER: What was it that compelled Brian Clark 527 00:30:21,945 --> 00:30:23,864 to choose the right stairwell, 528 00:30:23,947 --> 00:30:27,743 and to take it down instead of up? 529 00:30:27,826 --> 00:30:30,412 Was it his survival instinct? 530 00:30:30,495 --> 00:30:32,289 Blind luck? 531 00:30:32,372 --> 00:30:36,710 Or could it have been that mysterious "push"? 532 00:30:36,793 --> 00:30:39,171 CLARK: Years later, when I think back on it, 533 00:30:39,254 --> 00:30:42,132 I say, "Thank you very much," to whatever it was. 534 00:30:42,215 --> 00:30:44,676 It got me out of the building safely. 535 00:30:44,760 --> 00:30:46,887 Had I turned right to go to Stairway C, 536 00:30:46,970 --> 00:30:49,139 who knows what I would have found? 537 00:30:56,563 --> 00:30:59,399 So was Brian Clark's survival 538 00:30:59,483 --> 00:31:01,401 merely because of luck, 539 00:31:01,485 --> 00:31:02,986 a twist of fate? 540 00:31:03,070 --> 00:31:06,907 Or was it some kind of spiritual force 541 00:31:06,990 --> 00:31:09,618 that guided him to escape certain death? 542 00:31:09,701 --> 00:31:11,703 Well, this much is certain: 543 00:31:11,787 --> 00:31:14,623 in spite of impossible odds, Brian lived. 544 00:31:14,706 --> 00:31:17,793 And while some might be reluctant to call it a miracle, 545 00:31:17,834 --> 00:31:22,589 nobody could argue that what Brian Clark experienced 546 00:31:22,672 --> 00:31:25,509 was anything short... 547 00:31:25,592 --> 00:31:27,928 of miraculous. 548 00:31:36,770 --> 00:31:39,481 ESHATNER:: A little over one mile offshore 549 00:31:39,523 --> 00:31:41,441 stands what was at one time 550 00:31:41,525 --> 00:31:46,321 the most secure penitentiary in the United States. 551 00:31:46,405 --> 00:31:48,240 Alcatraz. 552 00:31:48,323 --> 00:31:51,159 Or, as it is more famously known, 553 00:31:51,201 --> 00:31:53,995 The Rock. 554 00:31:55,747 --> 00:31:58,667 Formerly a military stockade, 555 00:31:58,708 --> 00:32:02,462 it was converted to a maximum security prison in 1934 556 00:32:02,504 --> 00:32:05,298 by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, 557 00:32:05,340 --> 00:32:07,801 who wanted to house the nation's most dangerous criminals 558 00:32:07,884 --> 00:32:11,805 in a place from which there was no escape. 559 00:32:11,888 --> 00:32:13,598 DYKE: Alcatraz was Hoover's baby. 560 00:32:13,682 --> 00:32:15,976 And he wanted it for his public enemy number ones 561 00:32:16,017 --> 00:32:19,104 and supposedly nobody could escape from it. 562 00:32:19,187 --> 00:32:22,315 The island is out in the middle of the water, 563 00:32:22,357 --> 00:32:24,568 the water's 52 degrees on average 564 00:32:24,651 --> 00:32:25,861 throughout the whole year, 565 00:32:25,944 --> 00:32:28,572 and there's sharks in the bay. 566 00:32:29,823 --> 00:32:33,660 SHATNER: Since it first began operations in 1934, until 1962, 567 00:32:33,743 --> 00:32:39,416 a total of 31 prisoners attempted to escape Alcatraz. 568 00:32:39,499 --> 00:32:40,959 23 were caught. 569 00:32:41,042 --> 00:32:43,128 Six were shot and killed. 570 00:32:43,211 --> 00:32:47,382 Two drowned in the frigid waters of San Francisco Bay. 571 00:32:47,466 --> 00:32:51,511 ESSLINGER: With Alcatraz, you had America's 572 00:32:51,595 --> 00:32:55,265 most security safe prison in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. 573 00:32:55,348 --> 00:32:56,826 When it first opened, they had what was called 574 00:32:56,850 --> 00:32:57,976 the silence rule. 575 00:32:58,018 --> 00:32:59,298 They couldn't talk to each other. 576 00:32:59,352 --> 00:33:01,021 There was no news coming in. 577 00:33:01,104 --> 00:33:03,315 But they had the sights, 578 00:33:03,356 --> 00:33:05,942 even the smells of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory 579 00:33:06,026 --> 00:33:07,736 across the bay. 580 00:33:07,819 --> 00:33:10,006 They could hear the tour boats in the bay kind of going around 581 00:33:10,030 --> 00:33:12,282 and the laughs and the parties going on. 582 00:33:12,365 --> 00:33:15,035 So it was more of a psychological torture for them 583 00:33:15,118 --> 00:33:17,454 than it was actually physical torture. 584 00:33:17,537 --> 00:33:20,457 SHATNER: In 1960, 585 00:33:20,540 --> 00:33:23,084 an inmate named Frank Morris was admitted to Alcatraz, 586 00:33:23,168 --> 00:33:24,794 followed by three others-- 587 00:33:24,878 --> 00:33:25,962 Allen West, 588 00:33:26,046 --> 00:33:28,882 and brothers John and Clarence Anglin. 589 00:33:28,965 --> 00:33:31,384 ESSLINGER: Allen West, Frank Morris 590 00:33:31,468 --> 00:33:35,263 and the Anglins had all served time in Atlanta Penitentiary. 591 00:33:35,347 --> 00:33:37,474 I think that at least, you know, by sight, 592 00:33:37,516 --> 00:33:38,808 they would have known each other, 593 00:33:38,892 --> 00:33:40,727 probably met for certain. 594 00:33:40,810 --> 00:33:44,731 DYKE: Frank Morris was known to be of a fairly high IQ. 595 00:33:44,814 --> 00:33:46,149 You could call him hyperactive. 596 00:33:46,191 --> 00:33:47,791 He was always looking for something to do 597 00:33:47,817 --> 00:33:51,696 and his-his mind would get very bored quickly so he would 598 00:33:51,780 --> 00:33:54,115 escape or try to escape. 599 00:33:54,199 --> 00:33:56,826 He had numerous, numerous escape attempts. 600 00:33:56,868 --> 00:34:00,330 So they determined it was best to move him to Alcatraz 601 00:34:00,372 --> 00:34:02,290 to keep him from escaping. 602 00:34:03,833 --> 00:34:05,794 SHATNER: Together, the four men 603 00:34:05,835 --> 00:34:08,463 hatched an elaborate plan to succeed 604 00:34:08,547 --> 00:34:12,050 where other potential escapees had failed. 605 00:34:12,133 --> 00:34:14,135 Allen West was on the cleaning detail. 606 00:34:14,219 --> 00:34:17,138 He was up on top of those cell blocks sweeping up 607 00:34:17,180 --> 00:34:19,683 when he saw that there was a vent in the roof 608 00:34:19,766 --> 00:34:21,184 that didn't work. 609 00:34:21,268 --> 00:34:23,562 And West, the Anglin brothers and Morris noticed 610 00:34:23,645 --> 00:34:26,606 that the cement inside the backs of the cells was crumbling 611 00:34:26,690 --> 00:34:28,316 because of the salt air. 612 00:34:28,358 --> 00:34:30,169 ESSLINGER: So, what they would do is they would take 613 00:34:30,193 --> 00:34:32,821 the ends of these steel spoons 614 00:34:32,862 --> 00:34:38,118 and use them to route out these holes through the cement. 615 00:34:38,201 --> 00:34:41,705 And they recreated the grates using cardboard, 616 00:34:41,788 --> 00:34:44,040 cutting out the exact pattern. 617 00:34:44,124 --> 00:34:45,804 When you actually compare the grill itself, 618 00:34:45,834 --> 00:34:48,336 the fake ones that they made, to the real grill, uh, 619 00:34:48,420 --> 00:34:49,820 they're pretty convincing, actually. 620 00:34:49,879 --> 00:34:53,925 SHATNER: The men now had access to the roof of the prison, 621 00:34:54,009 --> 00:34:56,195 but in order to hide the fact that they were working there 622 00:34:56,219 --> 00:34:59,222 every night, they needed to fool the guards into thinking 623 00:34:59,306 --> 00:35:00,974 they were still asleep in their bunks. 624 00:35:01,016 --> 00:35:03,935 So they devised an ingenious solution. 625 00:35:04,019 --> 00:35:06,563 They created dummy heads in their likenesses 626 00:35:06,646 --> 00:35:09,065 and placed them in their beds while they worked. 627 00:35:09,149 --> 00:35:10,789 DAVID WIDNER: Each one of them had a part. 628 00:35:10,817 --> 00:35:14,321 They knew that they needed to make dummy heads. 629 00:35:14,404 --> 00:35:16,114 So they took up painting 630 00:35:16,197 --> 00:35:18,158 to paint these two portraits of their girlfriends. 631 00:35:18,241 --> 00:35:21,536 That gave them access to the flesh-colored paint 632 00:35:21,620 --> 00:35:24,331 that they needed for the dummy heads. 633 00:35:24,414 --> 00:35:27,500 Clarence took up haircutting. He was a barber. 634 00:35:27,542 --> 00:35:29,544 And so while he was cutting hair, 635 00:35:29,628 --> 00:35:31,981 he would walk it back to the cells and that's where they got 636 00:35:32,005 --> 00:35:35,300 the real hair that's on the dummy heads. 637 00:35:35,342 --> 00:35:38,511 SHATNER: After 18 months of digging and planning, 638 00:35:38,595 --> 00:35:41,306 the men were finally ready to make their escape. 639 00:35:41,389 --> 00:35:44,225 There was just one more problem: 640 00:35:44,309 --> 00:35:47,479 surviving the more than one mile of treacherous waters 641 00:35:47,562 --> 00:35:50,357 between the island and the mainland. 642 00:35:50,440 --> 00:35:54,277 They were able to go to all these other convicts at the time 643 00:35:54,361 --> 00:35:57,155 and acquire all these different raincoats. 644 00:35:57,197 --> 00:36:01,326 And then Clarence actually stitched a raft together. 645 00:36:01,409 --> 00:36:03,262 And then they created this valve, kind of like an air stem, 646 00:36:03,286 --> 00:36:04,829 where they would blow it up. 647 00:36:04,913 --> 00:36:07,999 They were creating things that they would be able to use 648 00:36:08,083 --> 00:36:09,834 in the success of their escape. 649 00:36:11,336 --> 00:36:14,255 SHATNER: On the night of June 11, 1962, 650 00:36:14,339 --> 00:36:17,133 at approximately 9:45 p. m., 651 00:36:17,175 --> 00:36:19,344 the men put their plan into action. 652 00:36:19,427 --> 00:36:24,099 As they crawled from their cells and headed up to the roof, 653 00:36:24,182 --> 00:36:28,103 Allen West elected to stay behind, fearing capture. 654 00:36:28,186 --> 00:36:33,817 It was the last verified time anyone would see Frank Morris 655 00:36:33,900 --> 00:36:35,485 and the Anglin brothers again, 656 00:36:35,568 --> 00:36:40,865 because their elaborate escape plan worked. 657 00:36:42,409 --> 00:36:45,328 ESSLINGER: This massive manhunt is initiated. 658 00:36:45,412 --> 00:36:48,123 You've got the FBI, uh, the U. S. Marshals Service, 659 00:36:48,206 --> 00:36:51,376 the Coast Guard, everybody is searching for these three men. 660 00:36:52,377 --> 00:36:54,629 The warden of the prison comes out and says 661 00:36:54,671 --> 00:36:57,298 that the water conditions were too extreme. 662 00:36:57,382 --> 00:36:59,259 He didn't feel that they could have made it. 663 00:36:59,342 --> 00:37:00,844 J. Edgar Hoover comes out, 664 00:37:00,927 --> 00:37:04,097 he indicates that, you know, they certainly drowned. 665 00:37:04,180 --> 00:37:05,724 It was a big embarrassment to them. 666 00:37:05,807 --> 00:37:08,268 Alcatraz was supposed to be escape-proof. 667 00:37:08,351 --> 00:37:09,728 DYKE: I still, to this day, 668 00:37:09,811 --> 00:37:12,188 will never 100% say whether they lived or died 669 00:37:12,272 --> 00:37:14,399 because there's no bodies recovered. 670 00:37:14,482 --> 00:37:16,002 Once they left the island, nobody knows 671 00:37:16,067 --> 00:37:17,235 what happened except them. 672 00:37:17,318 --> 00:37:20,488 WIDNER: Digging through the FBI files, 673 00:37:20,530 --> 00:37:22,824 there's no doubt in my mind 674 00:37:22,866 --> 00:37:26,453 that John and Clarence survived that escape. 675 00:37:26,536 --> 00:37:31,207 Every year on Mother's Day, my grandmother received roses. 676 00:37:31,291 --> 00:37:34,878 And the card would always say "Joe and Jerry." 677 00:37:34,961 --> 00:37:37,630 Well, she didn't know anybody named Joe and Jerry, 678 00:37:37,714 --> 00:37:40,925 but she did know who those flowers came from. 679 00:37:41,009 --> 00:37:44,929 SHATNER: Did Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers survive 680 00:37:45,013 --> 00:37:48,391 their treacherous journey across San Francisco Bay? 681 00:37:48,475 --> 00:37:53,855 Or, did they fall prey to the rough, shark-infested waters? 682 00:37:53,938 --> 00:37:57,901 One thing is certain: they made it off The Rock. 683 00:37:57,984 --> 00:37:59,319 And there are many who believe 684 00:37:59,402 --> 00:38:02,614 that not only did they make it to the mainland, 685 00:38:02,697 --> 00:38:05,867 they did so with the help of mysterious 686 00:38:05,950 --> 00:38:08,953 and unexplained forces. 687 00:38:17,796 --> 00:38:22,217 Frank Morris, John Anglin and his brother Clarence 688 00:38:22,300 --> 00:38:24,427 pulled off what is arguably the most daring 689 00:38:24,511 --> 00:38:27,555 and difficult prison break in history. 690 00:38:27,639 --> 00:38:32,769 And if the rumors are true, it's because they knew 691 00:38:32,852 --> 00:38:36,689 the precise moment to attempt to get off Alcatraz Island. 692 00:38:41,820 --> 00:38:44,906 Long before Alcatraz became a prison, 693 00:38:44,989 --> 00:38:47,492 it was actually used by local indigenous tribes 694 00:38:47,575 --> 00:38:50,411 who used the island for the same purpose. 695 00:38:50,495 --> 00:38:53,331 They sent their own undesirables there, 696 00:38:53,414 --> 00:38:54,499 their own criminals there, 697 00:38:54,582 --> 00:38:57,126 and they essentially left them there to die. 698 00:38:57,210 --> 00:39:01,673 Most did die, and many of them were buried on the island. 699 00:39:01,756 --> 00:39:04,634 And that led to speculation that their spirits 700 00:39:04,676 --> 00:39:08,054 still inhabit the island right up to this day. 701 00:39:10,598 --> 00:39:12,201 ESSLINGER: Certainly, there were Native American inmates 702 00:39:12,225 --> 00:39:13,643 who were on the island. 703 00:39:13,726 --> 00:39:15,854 Some of the Native Americans believed that if-- 704 00:39:15,937 --> 00:39:17,772 you know, they could actually tell, 705 00:39:17,856 --> 00:39:19,649 that if the birds were circling the island 706 00:39:19,691 --> 00:39:20,984 and they refused to land, 707 00:39:21,025 --> 00:39:24,737 that there was some type of negative energy. 708 00:39:24,821 --> 00:39:27,782 Clarence Carnes was a Native American who was on the island. 709 00:39:27,866 --> 00:39:30,493 He was very close friends with Frank Morris 710 00:39:30,577 --> 00:39:32,078 and with the Anglins. 711 00:39:32,161 --> 00:39:34,747 Maybe it's something that he brought up to them, 712 00:39:34,831 --> 00:39:36,725 but certainly it could've been one of the stories out there. 713 00:39:36,749 --> 00:39:40,670 SHATNER: On the day of the escape, while out in the prison yard, 714 00:39:40,753 --> 00:39:43,256 Frank Morris reportedly noticed 715 00:39:43,339 --> 00:39:45,425 the birds were particularly calm. 716 00:39:45,508 --> 00:39:49,387 According to local legend, Morris believed 717 00:39:49,470 --> 00:39:52,307 that this was the island's spirits sending him 718 00:39:52,390 --> 00:39:54,976 and his accomplices an omen that it was safe 719 00:39:55,059 --> 00:39:59,355 to put their escape plan into motion on that day. 720 00:39:59,439 --> 00:40:05,486 But not everyone believes the tale to be true. 721 00:40:05,528 --> 00:40:09,032 I've heard that rumor, but I've-I've never seen any proof 722 00:40:09,115 --> 00:40:11,200 that Frank Morris actually knew about premonitions 723 00:40:11,284 --> 00:40:13,119 or anything to that effect. 724 00:40:14,954 --> 00:40:17,665 I don't think, when the birds were flying or their activities 725 00:40:17,749 --> 00:40:19,959 or anything like that had any bearing 726 00:40:20,001 --> 00:40:22,253 on what day they were gonna make the escape. 727 00:40:22,337 --> 00:40:23,963 They'd worked on their escape for months 728 00:40:24,005 --> 00:40:25,733 and they hadn't been caught up to that point, 729 00:40:25,757 --> 00:40:27,592 and I think they were starting to get worried. 730 00:40:27,675 --> 00:40:30,219 They left when it was their opportunity to leave 731 00:40:30,303 --> 00:40:32,847 and they thought they had the best chance. 732 00:40:36,017 --> 00:40:39,812 WIDNER: When my grandmother passed away, I was about ten years old. 733 00:40:39,896 --> 00:40:44,233 At the funeral, there were several FBI agents there. 734 00:40:44,317 --> 00:40:45,735 And they were very noticeable. 735 00:40:45,818 --> 00:40:48,237 I mean, you could tell that that's who they were. 736 00:40:48,321 --> 00:40:50,823 After the funeral, there was a lot of talk 737 00:40:50,865 --> 00:40:53,660 about the two women that showed up. 738 00:40:53,701 --> 00:40:56,162 They sat up front, they didn't talk to anybody. 739 00:40:56,245 --> 00:40:57,956 And they were very tall women. 740 00:40:58,039 --> 00:41:01,084 And from what we understand, the FBI actually noticed that 741 00:41:01,167 --> 00:41:04,629 and they was wanting to question these two individuals 742 00:41:04,712 --> 00:41:07,340 that actually were men dressed up as women. 743 00:41:07,423 --> 00:41:09,968 But they disappeared before they had a chance. 744 00:41:10,051 --> 00:41:13,554 There's no doubt that it was John and Clarence. 745 00:41:13,638 --> 00:41:16,307 But my question to them was, well, if y'all really believed 746 00:41:16,349 --> 00:41:18,601 that these guys died in that water, 747 00:41:18,685 --> 00:41:20,436 why are y'all still looking for them? 748 00:41:20,520 --> 00:41:21,980 Close the case. 749 00:41:24,941 --> 00:41:28,194 So, what do you think? 750 00:41:28,277 --> 00:41:30,697 Did Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers 751 00:41:30,780 --> 00:41:33,116 really live through a perilous swim 752 00:41:33,199 --> 00:41:35,743 in the frigid waters of San Francisco Bay? 753 00:41:35,827 --> 00:41:37,638 And, assuming they did, could they have lived out their lives 754 00:41:37,662 --> 00:41:40,331 without being found out and recaptured? 755 00:41:40,373 --> 00:41:44,460 Perhaps that's why these stories of great escapes fascinate us. 756 00:41:44,544 --> 00:41:47,797 They satisfy our curiosity to find out 757 00:41:47,880 --> 00:41:51,300 how the impossible can be accomplished. 758 00:41:51,384 --> 00:41:53,136 And that's the same curiosity 759 00:41:53,219 --> 00:41:57,473 that compels us to seek out the answers to... 760 00:41:58,516 --> 00:42:00,226 ...the unexplained. 761 00:42:00,309 --> 00:42:03,321 Subtitles Diego Moraes(oakislandtk) www.opensubtitles.org 762 00:42:03,371 --> 00:42:07,921 Repair and Synchronization by Easy Subtitles Synchronizer 1.0.0.0