List of Alcatraz escape attempts

In its 29 years of operation, there were 14 acknowledged attempts to escape from Alcatraz prison involving 36 inmates (two, Joseph Cretzer and Sam Shockley, tried twice). Officially, every escape attempt failed, and most participants were either killed or quickly re-captured. However, the participants in the December 1937 and June 1962 attempts, though presumed dead, disappeared without a trace, giving rise to popular theories that they were successful.

Joseph Bowers was working burning garbage at the island's incinerator when he suddenly ran and began to climb a chain link fence in an apparent attempt to make for the shore. Quickly spotted by a guard in a watch tower, he ignored orders to desist as well as a warning shot before being hit by rifle fire. He then fell 10–20 meters to the shore below and drowned.

Theodore Cole and Ralph Roe had gradually filed through iron bars in the prison's mat shop in the industries building and escaped on a very foggy day, preventing them from being spotted by guards in the watch towers. The two jumped into the water and were never seen again, but the severe weather conditions at the time have led to a consensus that they drowned in the bay and their bodies were swept out to sea by the strong current in San Francisco Bay. However, they were listed as #1 and #2 on the FBI Most Wanted List.

Rufus Franklin, Thomas R. Limerick, and James C. Lucas attacked and killed a guard with a claw hammer in the woodwork shop in the industries building and then proceeded to the roof, where an armed guard shot Franklin and Limerick. Other guards arrived at the scene. Lucas was cornered and surrendered to the guards.

Arthur 'Doc' Barker, William Martin, Rufus McCain, Henri Young, and Dale Stamphill were inmates of the prison's supposedly most-secure unit, D-Block, when they managed to escape the cell house and reach the Alcatraz shore on the night of January 13, 1939 (Friday). As they were putting a makeshift raft together they were spotted and fired on by a guard in a watch tower. Barker was killed, Stamphill was wounded, and the others were sent to Solitary confinement.

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