The Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary was a maximum security prison built to house the United States' most notorious criminals. It was a prison island situated 2 km off the coast of San Francisco, California. In June 1962, John Anglin, Frank Morris, and Clarence Anglin have escaped, and no one could tell if they have survived, until now.
Alcatraz had been the home of 1,576 of America's most notorious criminals including Mickey Cohen, Robert Franklin "Birdman of Alcatraz" Stroud, Al Capone, Alvin "Creepy" Karpis, and George "Machine Gun" Kelly. The prison was strategically located to make escape an impossible feat. Apart from the high, guarded walls of Alcatraz, the currents were harsh in the surrounding cold waters, with rocky bottoms that guarantee death to those who will try leaving the most dreaded prison on Earth at the time.
But the harsh conditions in and around Alcatraz did not stop prisoners from attempting to escape, but many failed except for the Anglin brothers and Frank Morris. No one, however, was able to say if they survived as they were never seen again. The FBI and prison officials have arrived at a conclusion that the three prisoners died in their attempt to escape. Their remains were never found.
Research show that it was possible for the three fugitives to have successfully escaped Alcatraz. Scientists simulated the current of the waters the night the prisoners had escaped, and then launched fifty virtual boats to see if it was possible that they have successfully landed, according to a study led by the Research Institute of Deltares and Delft University in the Netherlands.
"Of course, this doesn't prove that they survived... But the latest and best hydraulic modelling information indicates that it was certainly possible," Rolf Hut, a member of the research team said.
It all boils down on the time the three had escaped prison. If they had left after 11:00 p.m. until midnight in June 11, 1962, it was quite possible that they have reached north of the Golden Gate safely.
However, if the three had left before 11:00 p.m., their chances of survival are pretty slim as the strong ocean waves would have likely knocked out their boat and drowned them, according to hydraulic engineer Fedor Baart.
The Anglins and Morris used "dummy heads" made from toilet paper, human hair, and soap. Another prisoner, Allen West, was originally part of the team who planned the escape, but failed to join them as he was not able to crawl out of his cell wall.
