Re-Examination Explores Possibility of Survival

A resurgence of interest in the Alcatraz escape led a team of researchers to examine the conditions the inmates faced on their fateful night. Their analysis suggested that if the escapees had set sail around midnight, the currents would have been in their favor, significantly increasing their chances of surviving the perilous waters.

This insight sheds light on why the Marshals Service has persistently maintained active warrants for the escapees over the decades. As one deputy declared in 2009, the organization “doesn’t give up looking for people,” underlining their commitment to pursuing the case, fueled by the possibility that the inmates might indeed have made it to freedom.