Official records list 14 escape attempts from Alcatraz involving 36 men. Most ended in recapture. Two ended in gunfire. One ended in a question that has never been answered.
The record
| Attempts | 14 |
| Men involved | 36 |
| Recaptured | 23 |
| Killed during attempts | 6 |
| Drowned (confirmed) | 2 |
| Missing, presumed drowned | 5 |
1937: Cole and Roe
Theodore Cole and Ralph Roe cut through a window in the model industries building and entered the water during a storm. Neither was seen again; both are presumed drowned.
1946: the Battle of Alcatraz
An attempted takeover using captured weapons collapsed when the escapees could not obtain the yard door key. The resulting two-day siege involved the Marines and left two officers and three inmates dead.
1962: the raft escape
Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers left through widened ventilation openings on a raincoat raft and vanished. See Frank Morris Alcatraz.
1962: the last attempt
In December 1962, John Paul Scott swam to the shore below Fort Point and was found hypothermic — proof the swim was survivable, if barely, for a strong swimmer.
Why escape was so hard
- Water around 50–55°F year-round.
- Strong tidal currents in the channel.
- Frequent counts, a dozen or more a day.
- High guard-to-inmate ratio and gun galleries overlooking the blocks.
Frequently asked questions
How many people escaped from Alcatraz?
Thirty-six men made 14 attempts. Five remain missing and presumed drowned; none is confirmed to have survived.
Was the Battle of Alcatraz an escape?
It began as an escape attempt in 1946 and became a two-day armed siege after the plan failed.