US Airship Disaster: Two Sailors Fall to Tragic End (Censored)

(Censored) Prior to WW2, in 1932, two US Navy sailors tragically fall to the deaths while docking the flying aircraft carrier USS Akron. Near San Diego, California, Aviation Carpenter's Mate 3rd Class Robert H. Edsall and Apprentice Seaman Nigel M. Henton plunged to their deaths, while Apprentice Seaman C. M. "Bud" Cowart tied himself to the line and held-on for two hours. The body falls have been censored.
#shorts

[HistoryX]

Click on the 'Riding High' title link at the bottom of this video to see more US Airship content!

[williamreynolds]

Took them two hours to decide to pull him up and they say the guys on the ground were inexperienced.

[PInkW]

Either let go immediately
Or hold on forever

[taze]

2 fell to their doom. Third dude is all smiles after being rescued. A different time....

[petergibson]

I saw that footage in a TV documentary in the 1960s when I was a kid. It stuck in my mind. It's the kind of thing you never forget seeing.

[starperfectdeer]

"Hey its been 2 hours. Can we let the guy in?"

"Did he buy a ticket?"

[warrenparker]

Heart breaking. I don’t understand why the single sailor who held on had to wait 2 hours before they hoisted him up into the blimp. My heart goes out two the two young men who fell to their deaths.

[drumdadsdl]

I've seen an interview with this young man who is quoted as saying, "It was a grand and glorious feeling to be inside once more!!"

[povertybay]

Dude holds on for 2 hours before people aboard the airship decide hey maybe we should pull this guy up

[ashh]

Imagine being the poor guy to watch the other two plummet hundreds of feet.

[doinksinthePM]

Imagine this? You're trying with all your might to keep this thing moored to the ground with your mates, twenty of you, and she starts taking off! You have only a few seconds to decide - do you give up and bail out or keep going? Before you have a chance to even realize what's happening you're already waaay farther up than you're comfortable with dropping from unassisted! Whoa. RIP to the lost souls who held on too long and then not long enough! 🙏✝️

[bruh]

The USS Akron would later in 1933 crash, killing 73 and hugely damaging airships reputations. In fact it is the true titanic of the sky, being worse than Hindenburg and other notable disaster such as R101, Dixmude, R38 and Roma. Making it the worst Airship disaster.

[b.wiggins]

I can relate - back in Aug ‘23 I floated on the open ocean for 16.5 hours after our dive boat got separated from us - the feeling of climbing into the USCG raft at 1 a.m. was so incredible.

[Wormhole]

The reason the third sailor did not fall to his death, was because he was able to tie a bowline with one hand and sit in it during the flight.

[catohcatohcat]

I saw this video on a program over 50 years ago, and have been looking for it ever since, trying to find background on the event. THANKS! Fascinating story. I could never understand why they didn't drop more quickly.

[paul]

Poor young kids, what a truly horrific way to go.😭

[breth]

One of the custodians at my school in San Diego told me he had been on that detail. He said they didn't have much training it was terrible

[raulortavalero]

You can see the sailor falling to the ground with the others at the end...terrible😢

[AndrewBarsky]

When talking to a recruiter, remember these guys also spoke with one.

[prof.dikwad]

In hindsight airships seem like a terrible idea