Trapped For 408 Hours & Buried 60 Years Later | Floyd Collins & Sand Cave

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Tatiana: Floyd Collins worked his entire
life to reach his goal of getting rich

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by owning his own cave attraction.

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And he was potentially within
arm's reach of achieving that goal.

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When a rock in a tight cave.

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Trapped him for over two weeks.

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The story of his entrapment, the almost
comical, if it wasn't so bad rescue

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effort and what happened after the rescue
are so shocking that I'm surprised.

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I wasn't aware of this story until I
started researching for this episode.

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I'm your host Tatiana.

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And this is occurrence.

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Floyd Collins was born on July 20th,
1887 in Auburn, Kentucky, the third

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born of his seven other siblings.

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His family owned quite a bit of farming
land and he started exploring the

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caves on the property at six years old.

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And dropped out of school at 10 because
he wanted to find native American

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artifacts and caves and sell them.

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While he was exploring, he found
bodies of other explorers to.

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you think that might keep him cautious
enough to avoid his situation later

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on, but I'll get back to that soon.

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Floyd was eventually hired to be
a cave guide and mapped caves.

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And he became convinced that all caves
connected in the mammoth park area.

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He was in caves,
practically his whole life.

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So his fear of them was non-existent.

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It seems because he was known for
exploring tight caves and tunnels that

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everyone else was too scared to do.

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This is part of why some consider him one
of the greatest cave explorers in history.

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So the earliest 20th century had an
era known as the Kentucky cave wars,

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which obviously took place in Kentucky.

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The property owners and Spelunkers were
in this intense competition to explore

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the riches of caves for profit, from
tourist who would pay to see the caves.

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So Floyd who at this point in his
life was very experienced in cave

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exploration discovered his first
cave on his family's farm in 1910.

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It was named donkey's cave.

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And in the following years, he
assisted with the discovery of Dossey's

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dome cave, and great Onyx cave.

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In 1917, Floyd took the first
step towards achieving his goal.

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He uncovered a single entrance
to a cave on the family property.

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His father deeded him half interest, and
the entire family worked to transform

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that cave into a tourist attraction.

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It had veritable walls, smooth ceilings,
and tons of colorful formations.

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A year later, it was open to tourists,
but unfortunately the location

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was so remote that very few people
would even try to make the trip.

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Because they passed so many
other cave sites on the way.

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And competition caves with sabotage
until tourist Floyd's cave was

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closed and blocked the roads
with boulders and other objects.

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It didn't help that his cave could
only be reached by a rough wagon ride.

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So he bought a taxi.

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But he was terrible at driving and it was
an unpleasant experience for visitors.

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Trying to further sabotage him.

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Five people demanded that Floyd
handover his lease a crystal cave.

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And beat him so bad that his brother
Homer had to run them off with a shotgun.

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They probably would've killed
him if he hadnt done that.

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But that's not where Floyd story ends.

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This is a man with a goal and
nothing is going to stop him.

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Well, except for situation later.

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He wasn't going to give up.

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He just had to pivot a little bit.

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Floyd wanted to find another entrance
to mammoth cave or an undiscovered

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cave along the road to draw more
visitors and bring more profit.

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So we made a deal.

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They were farmers with land
closer to the main highway.

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So they made an agreement that if Floyd
found a cave, They would form a business

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partnership And share the responsibilities
of operating the tourist attraction.

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They would turn it into and let's
just say that partnership ends.

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Very differently than you're
going to expect it to.

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Now when Floyd was 37, he believed he
found the one, it was prime real estate

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and would eventually be called San cave.

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Travelers would pass this cave first,
before reaching everyone else's caves.

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It was like a dream come true.

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He just needed to clear the entrance
because it was covered in dirt and gravel.

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Check it out, fix it up.

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And his family and the farmer that
owned the property would be rich.

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So the narrow entrance he
found he spent 12 hours a day.

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All alone, clearing away,
dirt and stone for weeks.

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And on January 30th, 1925
with snow on the ground.

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And it being a slightly warmer winter day.

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Floyd went into sand cave in his
now manhole sized entrance with one

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kerosene lantern and eventually lowered
himself down into a four foot drop.

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He crawled on his belly under jagged
rocks for 50 feet, and then encountered

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a tight passage that required him to
exhale and squeeze through pushing

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himself forward using only his toes.

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He had one arm stretched out
ahead of him to push his lantern.

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And the other arm was at his side.

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So he gets through that area
and the tunnel turns down

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at about a 45 degree angle.

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It goes down where the tunnel will then
level back out horizontally and come

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out over a ledge over a 60 foot room.

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When Floyd discovered this room,
his lantern started flickering

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and he knew how dangerous it
was to lose light in the cave.

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So he reluctantly turned back.

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But in the process of turning
back, he knocked over his lantern.

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Now he's one of the greats.

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So it's not a big deal for him
with all of his experience.

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It's probably something
that has happened before.

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As he goes back through that level, part
of the tunnel and approaches that term.

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He pushes himself forward
off of a rock using his feet.

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But the Rock he pushes on is not solid.

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And a bunch of gravel falls
around his legs and waist.

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He's pretty much buried up to
his chest and the rock he pushed

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off of his, on top of his foot.

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The more, he struggles,
the more gravel falls.

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He scrapes up the walls until his
hands are bloody and he exhausted

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himself to the point of passing out.

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Once he wakes up, he yells for help.

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And that cycle continues for hours.

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Yelling and sleeping back and forth
with his arms going numb, stuck

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in that one up one down position.

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The spot he's in, has melting
snow water leaking onto him.

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So he is able to drink a little
bit of water whenever it falls.

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Now, I'm sure you're thinking
someone in his huge family or a

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friend would have noticed after
a few hours that he was missing.

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But no.

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It was actually neighbors that
notice he didn't come home the night

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before and went to look for him.

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Why didn't his family notice?

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Well, Floyd was known for going Spelunking
into a cave somewhere and coming out

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at a totally different area and asking
whoever was nearby and owned the land.

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If he could stay with them for the night.

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About 30 hours after none of the
neighbors encountered Floyd, they

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started asking around if he had
stayed with anyone last night.

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Everyone is saying no.

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So a 17 year old boy goes
out looking for Floyd.

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He finds his belongings
near the entrance and.

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Goes in to look for him.

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He doesn't even get close to her.

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Floyd's at Floyd's the best caver, right.

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He squeezing through anything.

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He doesn't care.

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This boy on the other hand
is like, no, not happening.

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So he yells for Floyd and Floyd
yells back asking for help and

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telling him to come and get him out.

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And the boy who clearly has
some level of self-preservation.

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It's like no and leaves
and goes to get help.

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So dozens of different men would try to
go help Floyd, but every single one would

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come out, not having gotten anywhere
close to Floyd and practically declared.

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They would never go down there again.

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Homer Floyd's brother catches wind of
what's happening and arrives at the

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entrance to find men arguing outside.

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He walks right past them to enter the
cave and it reeks of booze and cigarettes.

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But that doesn't stop him.

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He gets to the tight parts of the
tunnel and that doesn't stop him either.

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It's tight, but he's
going to get his brother.

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So he strips.

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He removes everything about his
underwear and he just keeps going.

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Homer makes it to the end of the
tunnel before the downward turn,

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leading to Floyd and realizes
how terrible the situation is.

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He can pretty much only see Floyd's
face and neck and realizes if he goes

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down headfirst, he would be working
upside down to try and get Floyd out.

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And then have to try to get out of
the dip in tunnel connected to it.

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Eat first for 20 feet crawling in reverse.

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But if he goes down feet first, he
asked you contort himself and turn

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around at the bottom of the dip,
where there is a little more space

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before the tunnel levels back out.

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But then he can get out head first.

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So that's what he does.

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It's risky, but he turns around
and goes feet first to Floyd.

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Homer calls for someone
to bring food and they do.

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And he hand feeds Floyd nine
sausage sandwiches and a pint of

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coffee that he had to pour down.

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Floyd's throat.

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Homer tries to move the rocks
from around Floyd, but he can't.

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The more, he tries to pull
rocks out the more fall.

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So Homer eventually
leaves a few hours later.

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And when he surfaces, he looks rough.

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The skin on his fingers was dangling
and he was shivering violently

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with dirt, covering his face.

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Homer needed to take a break.

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So while he was recovering,
more men tried to get to Floyd,

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but nobody would get clothes.

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So Homer returned around midnight
and for eight hours, he hacked at

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the rocks, trapping Floyd with the
crowbar, but didn't have any luck.

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At sunrise, Homer resurfaced.

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And he was aching.

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His arms and back were killing him.

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And his lungs felt like they were on fire.

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When he got to the surface, I'm
sure he's baffled because there

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were a bunch of random people
gathered and rigging of moonshine.

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And that honestly is the most
team scene in this entire story,

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because it gets increasingly
more chaotic as I continue on.

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Floyd had now been trapped for 48 hours.

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But they eventually started really
brainstorming a rescue effort.

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They started working to widen
the entrance and some of the

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newcomers threw out some ideas that
included taking off Homer shoes.

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That were buried and no one had access to.

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Sending a contortionists
down with the chisel.

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Using dynamite.

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And there was the brilliant idea of
cutting off Wood's foot and trying

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to get him out before he bled out.

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So real winning ideas.

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Homer as teenagers to take Floyd
blankets, drinks and food, but they

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couldn't get near him and just stuff, the
items and cracks in the cave and left.

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The adult men did the same thing and
everybody lied to Homer and told him

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that they had given him the items.

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Even though they clearly didn't.

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Marshall, another one of Floyd's
brothers put up a reward of $500

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to whoever could free Floyd.

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But no one volunteered.

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So it's pretty clear that it seems like
the only people truly trying to help

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Floyd at this point is the siblings.

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And Homer is obviously very frustrated
with the state of the rescue.

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'cause rent a reporter from out of
town that went by, skeets asked Homer

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to comment on what was happening.

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Homer told the reporter
to go ask Floyd himself.

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So that's exactly what the reporter
did he put on coveralls and with

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absolutely no caving experience, He went
to in the tunnel and reached the area

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before that downwards turn near Floyd.

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He was young and skinny.

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So he was able to get that far.

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He called for Floyd and got
a weak mumble in response.

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So he slid down the drop and
landed directly on Floyd.

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So then he had to crawl back up and
slide back down in a way that kept

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him from being on top of Floyd.

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Skeets tried to get a response from
him, but Floyd was hallucinating

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about angels wrapped in white linens.

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Writing blazing chariots.

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And smelling freshly frost, cows milk.

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Chicken sandwiches and onions.

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So skeets left and went back
to the surface and was now

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fully determined to save Floyd.

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At this point, he had been trapped
for over 70 hours and it was Monday.

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Uh, Lieutenant burden with a special
rescue team, arrived on scene

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and was able to make it to Floyd.

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Burden told him he was pretty confident
that he could pull them out with a

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rope, but he might pull off his foot.

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Maybe he didn't know Floyd was
hallucinating earlier and not in the

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right state of mind, but he said, Floyd
agreed when he went to the surface to

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tell everyone the plan was approved.

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The locals were strongly against it.

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And a doctor that was there said it
would likely pull apart his insides,

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but burden said there was no other
options since nobody had any other ideas.

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So everyone reluctantly agreed to try.

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00:12:40,803 --> 00:12:42,573
Homer skeets and burden.

233
00:12:42,753 --> 00:12:47,193
Put a body harness on Floyd attached
to a 100 foot rope that evening.

234
00:12:47,403 --> 00:12:50,643
And Homer fed him ham
sandwiches, coffee and whiskey.

235
00:12:51,143 --> 00:12:54,293
Then Floyd said he didn't
actually want his foot pulled off.

236
00:12:54,653 --> 00:12:58,043
So Homer slipped him a sedative
to build up his vitality.

237
00:12:58,043 --> 00:13:00,323
If they actually ended
up pulling off his foot.

238
00:13:00,823 --> 00:13:03,373
Because of course, that's
what it's used for.

239
00:13:03,873 --> 00:13:06,423
So there are men near the cave entrance.

240
00:13:06,783 --> 00:13:08,523
Burden is a bit deeper in the cave.

241
00:13:08,913 --> 00:13:12,483
Skeet is at the top of that dip
and Homer is right by Floyd.

242
00:13:12,983 --> 00:13:14,513
And he gives the signal to pull.

243
00:13:15,013 --> 00:13:19,243
Floyd screams because the
angle of his spine is not flat.

244
00:13:19,573 --> 00:13:22,693
And it was pretty much pulling his
top pap away from his bottom half.

245
00:13:23,193 --> 00:13:26,913
Homer ends up panicking and pulling
in the opposite direction towards

246
00:13:26,913 --> 00:13:28,923
Floyd to get everyone to stop.

247
00:13:29,423 --> 00:13:34,133
And the pool is somehow so strong at it
pulls the rope from everyone's hands.

248
00:13:34,633 --> 00:13:38,383
So everyone stops and leaves the cave
completely shook by what just happened.

249
00:13:38,803 --> 00:13:40,753
Even burden whose idea it was.

250
00:13:40,813 --> 00:13:42,043
Wasn't doing very well.

251
00:13:42,543 --> 00:13:47,373
So here we are at the end of Monday and
about 200 people are now outside the cave.

252
00:13:47,873 --> 00:13:49,343
Two tents have been erected.

253
00:13:49,673 --> 00:13:52,283
One to sell hot coffee and snacks.

254
00:13:52,373 --> 00:13:53,873
And the other is for first aid.

255
00:13:54,373 --> 00:13:55,723
And this was the scene.

256
00:13:55,813 --> 00:13:59,023
John Gerald caving,
buddy to Floyd arrive to.

257
00:13:59,523 --> 00:14:03,813
He was completely disgusted by the effort
so far and even more repulsed with the

258
00:14:03,813 --> 00:14:08,073
amount of food and other items, just
crammed into random places in the cave.

259
00:14:08,573 --> 00:14:11,813
He was only arriving on Monday
because when he first heard Floyd was

260
00:14:11,813 --> 00:14:13,793
stuck, he didn't think much of it.

261
00:14:14,063 --> 00:14:17,873
He had been caving so many times with
Floyd, that the thought of him not

262
00:14:17,873 --> 00:14:21,893
being able to get out of wherever he
was stuck, never crossed his mind.

263
00:14:22,393 --> 00:14:23,443
Floyd was the best.

264
00:14:23,443 --> 00:14:24,583
He couldn't be stuck.

265
00:14:25,083 --> 00:14:28,923
But I think this absolute
frustration and probably anger is

266
00:14:28,923 --> 00:14:30,423
what caused him to try so hard.

267
00:14:30,923 --> 00:14:33,773
When John reached the dip leading
to Floyd, he couldn't fit.

268
00:14:34,073 --> 00:14:36,713
So he chipped away at
the area until he could.

269
00:14:36,923 --> 00:14:40,133
And then he went to Floyd
and worked six hours removing

270
00:14:40,133 --> 00:14:41,513
the gravel from around Floyd.

271
00:14:42,013 --> 00:14:46,333
And no, apparently for some reason, no
one else was able to do that Before,

272
00:14:46,363 --> 00:14:47,743
nearly splitting Floyd in half.

273
00:14:48,243 --> 00:14:48,813
John got it.

274
00:14:48,813 --> 00:14:52,143
To the point where he had freed
Floyd up to his upper thighs and

275
00:14:52,143 --> 00:14:53,493
could move his arms and hands.

276
00:14:53,913 --> 00:14:57,603
He had moved about half a ton of
rock at that point, but John was

277
00:14:57,603 --> 00:14:59,463
too big to reach Floyd's knees.

278
00:14:59,963 --> 00:15:03,833
Fluid tells John nobody, but him
and his group are allowed back in.

279
00:15:04,133 --> 00:15:05,303
And John agrees with it.

280
00:15:05,803 --> 00:15:09,793
They were worried about a Cave in from
too many people working in the cave and

281
00:15:09,823 --> 00:15:11,863
obviously the inexperience of everyone.

282
00:15:11,863 --> 00:15:13,873
So far only made things worse.

283
00:15:14,373 --> 00:15:17,703
Different groups started showing up
to try and pitch in and were rejected.

284
00:15:18,153 --> 00:15:21,933
There were stone cutters of jewelry and
burden who suggested the rope again.

285
00:15:22,413 --> 00:15:24,453
Obviously everyone shut
down the road by idea.

286
00:15:24,953 --> 00:15:28,253
But the stonecutters were allowed
to open up the entrance more so that

287
00:15:28,253 --> 00:15:29,993
people could access the cave easier.

288
00:15:30,493 --> 00:15:34,393
By now the story is starting
to go nationwide because skeets

289
00:15:34,393 --> 00:15:35,623
wrote about what was happening.

290
00:15:35,873 --> 00:15:38,753
Floyd had now been shopped
for over 100 hours.

291
00:15:39,253 --> 00:15:42,553
For now people were moving and
organizing better because they had

292
00:15:42,553 --> 00:15:44,683
developed a sort of pass it along line.

293
00:15:45,133 --> 00:15:49,063
They had people stationed at various
points throughout the tunnel passing

294
00:15:49,063 --> 00:15:53,143
rocks up and out while they also supported
the walls of the tunnel with boards.

295
00:15:53,563 --> 00:15:54,493
They set up lights.

296
00:15:54,523 --> 00:15:58,033
So those in the tunnel could see and
placed the light on fluids just to.

297
00:15:58,283 --> 00:15:59,633
And this worked very well.

298
00:16:00,133 --> 00:16:04,723
At this time skeets was the one moving
the rocks from Floyd and he moved

299
00:16:04,723 --> 00:16:08,923
enough rocks to where Floyd had five
inches of clearance around his torso.

300
00:16:09,423 --> 00:16:13,783
So skeets squeezed on top of Floyd
to remove the rocks around his knees.

301
00:16:14,283 --> 00:16:19,353
Even though I can imagine how up
close and personal that situation was.

302
00:16:19,683 --> 00:16:23,463
It gave Floyd hope because he told
skeets, he feels he's meant to

303
00:16:23,463 --> 00:16:27,663
make it out with both of his feet
and that he would keep hanging on.

304
00:16:27,723 --> 00:16:29,943
And he was so grateful
to everyone helping.

305
00:16:30,443 --> 00:16:34,253
So skeets writes about this interaction
and his own fear surrounding

306
00:16:34,253 --> 00:16:38,033
the situation, which is a very
taboo thing to do at the time.

307
00:16:38,093 --> 00:16:42,263
But the emotion he puts into his
writing is what people latch onto.

308
00:16:42,623 --> 00:16:45,893
And the story is now
blowing up nationwide.

309
00:16:46,393 --> 00:16:50,503
Everything from plays and entertainment
to congressional meetings are

310
00:16:50,503 --> 00:16:52,243
paused when updates are released.

311
00:16:52,743 --> 00:16:57,513
People are invested in, hooked on finding
out what is going to happen to Floyd.

312
00:16:58,013 --> 00:17:01,313
He is offered his very own show
when he gets out and everything.

313
00:17:01,813 --> 00:17:05,262
This all propelled skeets to
want to save Floyd, even more

314
00:17:05,563 --> 00:17:07,063
he's writing about how he feels

315
00:17:07,063 --> 00:17:08,292
they can say Floyd.

316
00:17:08,593 --> 00:17:11,203
He thinks there'll be able
to pull it off after all.

317
00:17:11,703 --> 00:17:13,233
he feels like they can

318
00:17:13,383 --> 00:17:16,323
They are offered jacks to get
the stone off of his foot.

319
00:17:16,623 --> 00:17:18,603
But they can't find the right size, Jack.

320
00:17:19,103 --> 00:17:21,323
They were either too big or too small.

321
00:17:21,823 --> 00:17:26,532
The idea was to manually hold a support in
the area where Floyd was to prevent more

322
00:17:26,532 --> 00:17:31,033
rocks falling, and then use the Jack with
the other hand to hammer away at the large

323
00:17:31,033 --> 00:17:35,833
stone, until it fell back into that huge
60 foot room, just past where Floyd was.

324
00:17:36,333 --> 00:17:40,263
They tried to do it, and it probably
would've worked if skeets had a third

325
00:17:40,263 --> 00:17:44,703
hand, because with one hand holding the
supports and the other, using the Jack,

326
00:17:44,913 --> 00:17:48,783
there wasn't enough force to push the
rock forward using the smaller Jack.

327
00:17:49,263 --> 00:17:53,343
The rock would just rotate and turn
before landing back on Floyd's foot.

328
00:17:53,843 --> 00:17:57,773
Burden was down there too, but obviously
it was just too tight for him to try

329
00:17:57,773 --> 00:17:59,513
to squeeze into the area as well.

330
00:18:00,013 --> 00:18:03,643
The frustration and overwhelming
defeat hit them like a train.

331
00:18:04,063 --> 00:18:06,523
And they all wanted to collectively cry.

332
00:18:07,003 --> 00:18:11,113
Skeets hands were purple from how
bruise they were and they covered

333
00:18:11,113 --> 00:18:14,653
Floyd with a blanket and left to
meet the national guard that had

334
00:18:14,653 --> 00:18:16,303
arrived to provide crowd control.

335
00:18:16,803 --> 00:18:21,193
That night, the tension was high
between locals and outsiders.

336
00:18:21,443 --> 00:18:22,763
Everyone wanted to help.

337
00:18:22,853 --> 00:18:26,753
And everyone was becoming increasingly
frustrated with their inability to do so.

338
00:18:27,253 --> 00:18:30,853
That night, everyone went home to rest
with the plan to return in the morning.

339
00:18:31,003 --> 00:18:32,263
Ready to say Floyd.

340
00:18:32,763 --> 00:18:36,153
The next morning, they decided to
try the Jack again, but with so many

341
00:18:36,153 --> 00:18:40,233
people going in and out of the cave,
rubbing the walls and adding body heat.

342
00:18:40,733 --> 00:18:42,653
John was worried about a collapse.

343
00:18:43,153 --> 00:18:46,843
The non cavers tried to tell him it
was fine, but when two men entered

344
00:18:46,843 --> 00:18:50,563
the cave to bring Floyd food that
morning, they noticed large cracks on

345
00:18:50,563 --> 00:18:52,123
the ceiling of one of the passages.

346
00:18:52,623 --> 00:18:56,223
They left just in time to
escape the falling debris and

347
00:18:56,223 --> 00:18:58,173
cave collapse, right by Floyd.

348
00:18:58,673 --> 00:19:01,073
Homer tried to get in,
but it was a lost cause.

349
00:19:01,573 --> 00:19:05,473
John, who is obviously upset because
he said from the beginning to limit

350
00:19:05,473 --> 00:19:06,763
the amount of people in the cave.

351
00:19:07,243 --> 00:19:11,353
Picked a few chosen men who knew the
risk to try and dig out the collapse

352
00:19:11,413 --> 00:19:16,083
and then reinforce the walls he's making
progress and he breaks through enough

353
00:19:16,083 --> 00:19:17,703
to see the light on Floyd's chest.

354
00:19:18,203 --> 00:19:23,393
But it's been raining the past few
days and this caused another collapse.

355
00:19:23,893 --> 00:19:27,433
This collapsed, injure John and forced
him to leave the tunnel in defeat.

356
00:19:27,933 --> 00:19:30,963
This is Wednesday night and
the nation is listening.

357
00:19:30,963 --> 00:19:32,883
Churches are holding services for Floyd.

358
00:19:33,183 --> 00:19:35,613
And skeets is becoming so popular.

359
00:19:35,613 --> 00:19:38,103
He eventually requires
an unofficial bodyguard.

360
00:19:38,603 --> 00:19:40,763
The next morning, February 5th.

361
00:19:41,123 --> 00:19:44,003
The governor of Kentucky places,
the national guard in charge of

362
00:19:44,003 --> 00:19:48,383
the scene and has engineer Henry
Carmichael oversee the creation of

363
00:19:48,383 --> 00:19:50,243
a vertical shaft to rescue Floyd.

364
00:19:50,743 --> 00:19:54,613
It's made very clear that cost
should not be an issue and every

365
00:19:54,613 --> 00:19:56,113
possible effort should be made.

366
00:19:56,613 --> 00:20:00,573
Now, this is another turning point and
not the last one either, but I feel this

367
00:20:00,603 --> 00:20:02,523
is where the real split starts to happen.

368
00:20:03,023 --> 00:20:06,323
Arguing over the best way to create
the shaft, caused them to not even

369
00:20:06,323 --> 00:20:07,943
get started until the afternoon.

370
00:20:08,443 --> 00:20:12,283
And they chose to only use picks
and shovels because the heavy

371
00:20:12,283 --> 00:20:15,703
equipment would blow exhaust fumes
into the cave and kill Floyd.

372
00:20:16,203 --> 00:20:20,133
So businesses nationwide sent
supplies too many, actually.

373
00:20:20,493 --> 00:20:24,483
And a workforce of 75 men were
scheduled to work around the

374
00:20:24,483 --> 00:20:26,873
clock to dig Henry predicted.

375
00:20:26,873 --> 00:20:30,143
It would take 30 hours to reach
Floyd because he figured they

376
00:20:30,143 --> 00:20:31,763
would make two feet per hour.

377
00:20:32,263 --> 00:20:35,683
But the amount of mud and rocks
eventually slowed them down

378
00:20:35,743 --> 00:20:37,783
to only six inches per hour.

379
00:20:38,283 --> 00:20:40,413
All of the intense work led to injuries.

380
00:20:40,443 --> 00:20:45,243
So a hospital was set up to treat people
for cuts, illnesses and exhaustion.

381
00:20:45,743 --> 00:20:49,463
And all of this work with all of
these men pushed out the locals

382
00:20:49,763 --> 00:20:51,503
and they were not happy about it.

383
00:20:51,983 --> 00:20:53,873
And this is where the tide starts to turn.

384
00:20:54,373 --> 00:20:59,053
Floyd has now been shopped for
over 140 hours and Friday marks

385
00:20:59,083 --> 00:21:00,963
a week That Floyd has been stuck.

386
00:21:01,463 --> 00:21:06,383
The shop is moving at a snail's pace
because trying to shovel stone and mud

387
00:21:06,533 --> 00:21:11,003
with warm winter weather makes slow
work regardless of how we're organized.

388
00:21:11,003 --> 00:21:11,993
The process is.

389
00:21:12,493 --> 00:21:15,253
Reporters are pestering people
trying to get information on

390
00:21:15,253 --> 00:21:18,073
Floyd and 400 cars are jamming.

391
00:21:18,073 --> 00:21:20,113
The roads trying to get to San cave.

392
00:21:20,613 --> 00:21:23,403
There are movie crews
onsite to catch the drama.

393
00:21:23,673 --> 00:21:28,113
And then of course, the only person who
knows anything about caves gets banned.

394
00:21:28,613 --> 00:21:32,213
John gets banned from the rescue site
because burden wanted to blow warm

395
00:21:32,213 --> 00:21:34,283
air into the cave to keep Floyd warm.

396
00:21:34,583 --> 00:21:35,783
Which as we know.

397
00:21:36,023 --> 00:21:39,953
John has been anti warmth in the
cave from the beginning because we

398
00:21:39,953 --> 00:21:41,303
don't need it falling down anymore.

399
00:21:41,803 --> 00:21:44,293
So John is banned and
the locals are amped.

400
00:21:44,563 --> 00:21:46,093
How can you push us out?

401
00:21:46,483 --> 00:21:48,193
And the person who knows about caves.

402
00:21:48,693 --> 00:21:52,143
So they're actually getting so
worked up at one point, they were

403
00:21:52,143 --> 00:21:55,233
talking about getting weapons
to push the national guard out.

404
00:21:55,733 --> 00:21:57,353
And it gets even worse from here.

405
00:21:57,853 --> 00:22:00,883
Over the weekend, the national
guard put up barbed wire fence

406
00:22:00,883 --> 00:22:02,203
to secure the rescue site.

407
00:22:02,563 --> 00:22:04,903
And the red cross showed
up to feed the workers.

408
00:22:04,903 --> 00:22:10,123
Because up until this point, they only
had black coffee, moonshine and crackers.

409
00:22:10,623 --> 00:22:14,433
Now cave city was slammed with
visitors and news reporters.

410
00:22:14,853 --> 00:22:18,573
I'm talking reporters from every
state in the union and some foreign

411
00:22:18,573 --> 00:22:22,713
reporters, the town with less
than 700 people in population.

412
00:22:23,013 --> 00:22:26,163
Now has 10,000 people overwhelming it.

413
00:22:26,663 --> 00:22:30,293
Restaurants ran out of food and
homes were turned into hotels.

414
00:22:30,743 --> 00:22:35,333
The lack of parking spaces had people
parking and pastures and people were so

415
00:22:35,333 --> 00:22:39,533
desperate for somewhere to stay, that
they paid to take naps and bathtubs.

416
00:22:40,033 --> 00:22:45,013
The area around the rescue site turned
into a literal carnival and vendors

417
00:22:45,163 --> 00:22:49,153
started setting up food, stands,
entertainment and selling booze.

418
00:22:49,653 --> 00:22:54,753
So what was once a somewhat honest
cave rescue is now this huge spectacle

419
00:22:54,933 --> 00:22:57,963
because the people that were coming
to town, we're not there to help.

420
00:22:58,263 --> 00:22:59,313
They were there to watch.

421
00:22:59,763 --> 00:23:02,853
They didn't care if Floyd
was dead or alive, they just

422
00:23:02,853 --> 00:23:04,143
wanted to see him pulled out.

423
00:23:04,643 --> 00:23:08,003
Now because he wasn't rescued
over the weekend, people are mad.

424
00:23:08,483 --> 00:23:11,693
They drove all that way
and didn't see any action.

425
00:23:12,053 --> 00:23:13,163
And then it started to rain.

426
00:23:13,663 --> 00:23:16,663
By Sunday night, the shop
was only 25 feet deep.

427
00:23:16,993 --> 00:23:21,163
Well beyond the estimated 30 hour
mark and still a long way to go.

428
00:23:21,663 --> 00:23:23,733
By Wednesday, Floyd's still down there.

429
00:23:24,233 --> 00:23:27,203
The dynamite they were trying to
use on the boulders wasn't working.

430
00:23:27,233 --> 00:23:29,453
So clearly progress was abysmal.

431
00:23:29,953 --> 00:23:32,533
Uh, monitor had been set up
to detect Floyds movements to

432
00:23:32,533 --> 00:23:33,883
make sure he was still alive.

433
00:23:34,333 --> 00:23:37,063
And at our 288.

434
00:23:37,563 --> 00:23:38,643
Floyd's light went out.

435
00:23:39,143 --> 00:23:41,183
The shaft was now at 44 feet.

436
00:23:41,453 --> 00:23:45,923
And Floyd's dad who had been interestingly
watching over the operation the past

437
00:23:45,923 --> 00:23:48,563
few days begin asking for donations.

438
00:23:49,063 --> 00:23:52,213
Probably because the whole
family is preoccupied with Floyd.

439
00:23:52,573 --> 00:23:55,963
And not working and they still have
bills to pay and mouths to feed.

440
00:23:56,463 --> 00:24:00,153
But the board reporters are so
frustrated and desperate for a story

441
00:24:00,393 --> 00:24:02,553
that they take this information and run.

442
00:24:03,053 --> 00:24:07,523
They start a con they start a conspiracy
about how the rescue is a scam to

443
00:24:07,523 --> 00:24:09,203
get the town and the family money.

444
00:24:09,703 --> 00:24:13,573
They continue to escalate and fabricate
letters from Floyd saying he was

445
00:24:13,573 --> 00:24:15,403
alive and well, and not in the cave.

446
00:24:15,903 --> 00:24:19,623
There are other saying the Collins family
deliberately delayed helping Floyd.

447
00:24:20,123 --> 00:24:23,813
They also say John is a realtor and
didn't want rescuers in the cave

448
00:24:23,843 --> 00:24:27,323
because he had financial interest
in crystal cave and would inherit

449
00:24:27,323 --> 00:24:28,733
it with Floyd out of the picture.

450
00:24:29,233 --> 00:24:33,613
Burden even disgustingly made a comment on
it saying that John was guilty of murder.

451
00:24:33,943 --> 00:24:37,393
Which is clearly the most backwards
and untrue statement ever.

452
00:24:37,893 --> 00:24:40,713
So all of this blew
everything out of proportion.

453
00:24:40,983 --> 00:24:44,913
So much so that the governor ordered
an investigation and instead of

454
00:24:44,913 --> 00:24:49,463
putting the full focus on getting
Floyd out, They interrogated rescuers.

455
00:24:49,793 --> 00:24:51,443
Family members and witnesses.

456
00:24:51,943 --> 00:24:54,133
So now Valentine's day rolls around.

457
00:24:54,633 --> 00:24:55,413
It's Saturday.

458
00:24:55,893 --> 00:24:58,233
Two weeks in a day that
Floyd has been trapped.

459
00:24:58,733 --> 00:25:00,893
360 hours trapped.

460
00:25:00,893 --> 00:25:02,483
60 feet underground.

461
00:25:02,983 --> 00:25:06,133
The inquiry has been
wrapped up and it concludes.

462
00:25:06,633 --> 00:25:07,533
No foul play.

463
00:25:08,033 --> 00:25:09,713
All the conspiracies were false.

464
00:25:10,213 --> 00:25:14,743
Now we're on today 17 and they
have finally made it 55 feet.

465
00:25:15,243 --> 00:25:19,923
Over 400 hours later and it's been
raining and snowing the past few days.

466
00:25:20,423 --> 00:25:23,183
Floyd has been without food for 12 days.

467
00:25:23,683 --> 00:25:27,433
There's reporters crowded outside
and planes in past years, thirstily

468
00:25:27,463 --> 00:25:29,233
waiting to take the pictures for print.

469
00:25:29,733 --> 00:25:31,863
Rescuers had to dig sideways for a bit.

470
00:25:31,923 --> 00:25:35,178
Once they made the 55 foot
mark, because they Ms.

471
00:25:35,178 --> 00:25:35,613
Floyd.

472
00:25:36,113 --> 00:25:38,333
But they eventually break
through the pit he's in.

473
00:25:38,883 --> 00:25:42,423
the rescuer shines a light on
Floyd and it hits his gold tooth.

474
00:25:42,923 --> 00:25:44,543
And then the rescuer yells.

475
00:25:45,043 --> 00:25:45,493
Dead.

476
00:25:45,993 --> 00:25:48,543
They discovered he had
been dead for three days.

477
00:25:48,973 --> 00:25:50,953
a couple hours after his light went out.

478
00:25:51,453 --> 00:25:54,903
And it was decided to leave Floyd in
there to prevent anyone else getting

479
00:25:54,903 --> 00:25:56,643
hurt, trying to get his body out.

480
00:25:57,143 --> 00:26:00,833
Movie crews, film the family saying
goodbye to Floyd and his father was

481
00:26:00,833 --> 00:26:04,193
later seen gathering glass bottles
due to how poor they now were.

482
00:26:04,693 --> 00:26:08,323
The farmer that owned the land sand
cave was on the one that made the

483
00:26:08,323 --> 00:26:09,913
deal with Floyd to share profits.

484
00:26:10,213 --> 00:26:12,283
Someone that was Floyd's friend.

485
00:26:12,313 --> 00:26:16,033
I put up a sign advertising for
people to come look at the entrance.

486
00:26:16,033 --> 00:26:18,163
He went down for 50 cents a pop.

487
00:26:18,663 --> 00:26:22,533
Some of the rescuers later secured
contracts to go on tour and tell the

488
00:26:22,533 --> 00:26:24,783
story of what happened and be paid for it.

489
00:26:25,283 --> 00:26:29,903
And skeets the man who both helped
and maybe inadvertently doomed Floyd.

490
00:26:30,233 --> 00:26:32,633
Was offered $50,000 to tour.

491
00:26:32,843 --> 00:26:36,443
But he turned it down and continued
working for his Louisville newspaper.

492
00:26:36,943 --> 00:26:40,003
He went on to earn a Pulitzer
prize for his reporting on Floyd.

493
00:26:40,503 --> 00:26:43,953
Homer was offered a touring deal
that he accepted to secure enough

494
00:26:43,953 --> 00:26:45,483
money to get Floyd out of the whole.

495
00:26:45,983 --> 00:26:48,933
Two months after Floyd's death,
he was able to hire miners

496
00:26:48,953 --> 00:26:50,723
to go down and get Floyd out.

497
00:26:51,173 --> 00:26:53,523
And when they removed the rock.

498
00:26:54,003 --> 00:26:55,833
They discovered it was 27 pounds.

499
00:26:56,333 --> 00:27:00,653
Floyd was then buried in the family
cemetery on April 26th, 1925.

500
00:27:01,153 --> 00:27:04,963
And in a strange twist, less tourists
wanted to visit the caves in the

501
00:27:04,963 --> 00:27:08,593
area and cave city in general,
because they felt it was cursed.

502
00:27:08,773 --> 00:27:10,213
So the businesses suffered.

503
00:27:10,243 --> 00:27:13,423
But cavers were more determined
than ever to find the next big cave.

504
00:27:13,813 --> 00:27:16,843
And more and more would lose
their lives to try and find it.

505
00:27:17,343 --> 00:27:20,583
It was the only way many of them
would be able to make money.

506
00:27:21,033 --> 00:27:24,153
And the problem was so bad
that the federal government

507
00:27:24,213 --> 00:27:25,623
eventually became aware of it.

508
00:27:26,123 --> 00:27:28,703
Floyd's dad sold his
stake in crystal cave.

509
00:27:29,203 --> 00:27:34,633
And then allow a dentist to exume
Floyd's body and display it in a glass

510
00:27:34,633 --> 00:27:37,183
covered, crystal coffin in crystal cave.

511
00:27:37,683 --> 00:27:40,923
The rest of the family was
horrified and against this.

512
00:27:41,193 --> 00:27:42,753
And in 1941,

513
00:27:43,003 --> 00:27:46,573
Congress stepped in because of
everything happening and turned

514
00:27:46,573 --> 00:27:48,853
mammoth cave into a national park.

515
00:27:49,353 --> 00:27:52,023
They went and bought up the land
piece by piece so they could

516
00:27:52,023 --> 00:27:53,643
regulate who had access to it.

517
00:27:54,143 --> 00:27:59,483
In 1961, the government bought
crystal cave for over $280,000.

518
00:27:59,873 --> 00:28:02,603
And the public's access to
the cave was later closed off.

519
00:28:03,103 --> 00:28:05,953
And finally in 1989, Floyd.

520
00:28:06,283 --> 00:28:08,263
body was re buried back in a cemetery.

521
00:28:08,763 --> 00:28:13,533
Now Floyd's theory of all caves being
connected in the area was later confirmed

522
00:28:13,533 --> 00:28:18,453
by professional cavers with over 400
miles of passageway, the mammoth cave

523
00:28:18,453 --> 00:28:20,343
system is the longest in the world.

524
00:28:20,843 --> 00:28:23,093
But Stan cave remains isolated.

525
00:28:23,593 --> 00:28:28,573
The entrance is sealed to keep people out,
but cavers in the area to this day, still

526
00:28:28,573 --> 00:28:34,033
find the initials F C etched into the
walls of caves all around mammoth park.

527
00:28:34,533 --> 00:28:35,973
So had you heard of this story?

528
00:28:36,473 --> 00:28:38,153
The first cave rescue effort.

529
00:28:38,653 --> 00:28:40,093
It's sad to know that in the end.

530
00:28:40,453 --> 00:28:43,453
Everyone, but Floyd benefited
and that he wasn't able to

531
00:28:43,453 --> 00:28:44,923
rest peacefully for decades.

532
00:28:45,423 --> 00:28:49,473
I also wonder if maybe they had
blown warm air into the cave.

533
00:28:49,893 --> 00:28:51,423
If he would still be alive.

534
00:28:51,923 --> 00:28:56,323
But at the same time, It may have caused
everything to collapse on top of him.

535
00:28:56,823 --> 00:29:00,363
I'm not sure what to think, but I do
know that it should not have taken that

536
00:29:00,363 --> 00:29:03,393
long to get a real rescue effort going.

537
00:29:03,583 --> 00:29:08,083
I feel like they should have reached
out to the governor or someone higher up

538
00:29:08,083 --> 00:29:12,933
to help them with the effort after like
day one of him being stuck in that cave.

539
00:29:13,233 --> 00:29:16,353
It shouldn't have taken so
long for them to get true help

540
00:29:16,383 --> 00:29:17,463
and trying to get food out.

541
00:29:17,963 --> 00:29:19,853
But what do you think of
the Floyd call in story?

542
00:29:20,353 --> 00:29:22,753
Leave a comment of your thoughts
and don't forget to follow.

543
00:29:22,753 --> 00:29:24,163
So you don't miss more like this.

544
00:29:24,663 --> 00:29:28,203
All sources can be
found@occurrencepod.com.

545
00:29:28,703 --> 00:29:29,453
Stay safe.

546
00:29:29,953 --> 00:29:30,793
And I'll see you next time.