Floyd Collins
| Floyd Collins | |
|---|---|
| Born |
William Floyd Collins July 20, 1887 Aburn, Logan County, Kentucky United States |
| Died | c. February 13, 1925 (aged 37) Cave City, Barren County, Kentucky, United States |
| Resting place | Mammoth Cave Baptist Church Cemetery, Mammoth Cave National Park, Mammoth, Kentucky |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | The Greatest Cave Explorer Ever Known |
| Occupation | cave owner, cave explorer |
| Known for | Cave exploration in Central Kentucky and having starved to death, after being trapped, in Sand Cave, before a rescue party, could get to him in time |
| Parent(s) | Leonidas Collins and Martha Jane Burnett |
| Relatives | James Collins (brother), Floyd Collins (a brother with same name) Andy Lee Collins (brother), Marshall Everett Collins (brother), Homer Larkin Collins (brother), Anna Collins (sister), Nellie Collins (sister) |
William Floyd Collins, better known as Floyd Collins, (July 20, 1887 – c. February 13, 1925) was an American cave explorer, principally in a region of Central Kentucky that houses hundreds of miles of interconnected, underground caverns within Mammoth Cave National Park, the longest cave system in the world. In the early 20th century, in an era known as the Kentucky Cave Wars, commercial cave owners and explorers in Kentucky entered into a bitter competition to exploit the bounty of caves for commercial profit from tourists, who paid to see the caves. On January 30, 1925, while trying to find a new entrance to Crystal Cave (also known "Sand Cave" by the media), Collins became trapped in a narrow crawlway, 55 feet (17 m) below ground. The rescue operation to save Collins became a national newspaper sensation and one of the first major news stories to be reported using the new technology of broadcast radio. The rescue attempt grew to become the third-biggest media event between the world wars.
After four days, during which time rescuers were able to bring water and food to Collins, a rock collapse in the cave closed the entrance passageway, stranding him in the cave, except for voice contact, for more than two weeks. Collins died of thirst and hunger compounded by exposure through hypothermia after being isolated for 14 days, just three days before a rescue shaft reached his position. Collins' body would be recovered two months later.
Floyd Collins discovered Crystal Cave in 1917. Crystal Cave is now part of the Flint Ridge Cave System of the Mammoth Cave National Park. Although Collins was an unknown figure in his lifetime, the fame he gained from his death led to him being memorialized on his tombstone as The Greatest Cave Explorer Ever Known.
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