In 1925, a rescue mission turned tragic when a man met his demise while trapped in a cave. Renowned explorer William Floyd Collins ventured into Sand Cave in Kentucky with only a kerosene lamp for illumination. Collins, known for commercializing the Great Crystal Cave, found himself stuck in a narrow passageway deep inside the cave after his lamp started to flicker.
Struggling to widen the passage, Collins accidentally dislodged a rock that pinned his ankle, leaving him in a twisted position. Despite being trapped, Collins managed to communicate with a young boy who entered the cave, kickstarting a rescue operation. Rescuers tried various methods to free Collins, including chipping away at the rock and attempting to pull him out with a harness, but to no avail.
As the news spread, a flurry of activity surrounded the cave, with a surge of visitors and volunteers offering assistance. The ongoing commotion caused instability within the cave, leading to a collapse that sealed off access to Collins. Efforts to reach him were further hindered by adverse weather conditions.
After enduring days of confinement, Collins’ voice grew faint, signaling his worsening condition. Despite relentless efforts by miners to create a shaft for extraction, they reached him too late. Collins was found lifeless under the rock, where he had been trapped for weeks. Due to safety concerns, his body was left in place before being later removed and put on display in a glass coffin inside the cave.
Years later, in 1989, Collins was finally laid to rest near the cave in a memorial site. His story has inspired various forms of media, including films, books, and songs. The Pulitzer Prize was awarded to William Burke “Skeets” Miller for his interview with Collins during the rescue mission.