Muirhead's hypothesis, or a variant thereof, makes the most sense to me. My own spin on it is that two keepers were outside when "it" happened. Based on modern knowledge, a rogue wave seems very plausible. The third keeper, either seeing the approaching wave OR otherwise perceiving that his teammates were in trouble (shouts for help?), rushed outside (without putting any wet weather gear on) to try and help them. He too was overwhelmed, by that rogue wave, the after effects of it, or even by a following wave. The first two keepers heading out into a violent storm? That 5 shilling fine might have been preying on Ducat's mind. Then too, there might have been a lull in the storm, enough that they thought it would be OK to go outside for a short while and take care of a few things. Yup, lots of 'mights' and 'maybes' there, but nothing implausible, I believe. A sad tragedy. Given the remote and distinctive locale, it is easy to see why many people would look for something more to the story.
@@joshcantrell8397 Try Googling 'extreme rogue wave events' some time. Furthermore, our hypothetical wave wouldn't have to be high enough to overrun the entire island, just have enough oomph to push a cr#pton of water up high on it. It mightn't even have been the wave itself that took the keepers, but the resulting backwash afterwards.
I was at sea for twenty years during which time I saw plenty of rough weather and high seas. It's amazing just how high up cliffs large swells can travel let alone a rogue wave. I'm sure that the weather and sea conditions at the time were the root cause of this tragedy. If the equipment on the landing was not in danger from being overwhelmed why would the keepers need to go near it?. There are many cases of people, particularly inexperienced people, rushing to help those in trouble getting into trouble themselves, often with fatal consequences. Muirhead's hypotheses is to me by far the most plausible explanation.
@@KevinRudd-w8sI was light foot infantry, but I been on a few ships in my time around similar areas and further (with similar conditions) for training and what not…. I can fully believe that the sea is an absolutely formidable and unruly beast. It’s very very possible that this is the case… anyone can spend a full day at any beach along the UK coast and at some point in the day you’ll notice a wave that makes you think “Wowah that was huge!” So yeah, I agree with you, the dude that was at sea for years. Lol
I believe the rogue wave theory. I think the two who had their rain gear were doing routine work at the dock while the other was eating. The one in the lighthouse saw the swell and ran to warn the others. Maybe he got to close and was caught when the wave hit all of them. Maybe the wave hit while he was still higher but he ran to try to rescue one or both of them in the aftermath. Either way, he wasn't able to save them or save himself.
There was no storm like their log claims. Rogue waves don't require a storm. Wave or not, the storm part is the real culprit & cannot be explained. A rogue wave does't explain why the inside of the lighthouse still had loose things but flipped chairs & half eaten food. None of that would be there if it was smashed by a wave. How can chairs be flipped but bowls of food on a table be left untouched. Also doesn't explain how they disappeared
The supernatural theories are amusing. Though to me the simplest explanation is most likely the correct one. Two went out, there was trouble and the third went out after them. The fact he didn’t have his weather outfit meant he likely left in a hurry which enforces the likelihood something catastrophic happened to the other two and he instinctively rushed out without thinking.
@@David-tt1rb I think that the very violent storm carried them out onto the rocks, pummeled them against the jagged rocks (piercing them) and then the were washed out. With their body pierces and ripped open that allowed bodily gasses to escape instead of being captured in the body, that made them less buoyant plus whatever weight from the clothes dragged the bodies under.
@@JadeS-ww7sr Nah, imho the safest bet would be that the two dudes with super-weird 'staches tired of the third dude's super-SUPER-weird 'stache - killing him off, of course - then fought to the death over who's remaining 'stache was sweeter. (Which was obviously the grunt's on the left, by the way.)
Personally I think each one of the men accidentally tripped over their own absolutely enormous moustaches, knocked themselves cold on the rocks below, whereupon the tide came in and claimed them.
The simplest explanation is best, very bad weather and sea conditions, the keepers tried to minimise damage, got into trouble, all keepers tried to help and the sea got them all. If there is one thing that you must always respect, the sea has no mercy and the unimaginable can occur in a flash. Big waves may be rare but they do happen. I have seen one come from nowhere, rolled in, did no damage but left me unbelieving what I had seen.
This is the most detailed and accurate reporting of the Flannan Isle Lighthouse mystery. So many video on this topic are riddled with false/inaccurate info.
The Vanishing (2018 film) The Vanishing, previously titled Keepers, is a 2018 British psychological thriller drama film directed by Kristoffer Nyholm and written by Celyn Jones and Joe Bone. Based on the 1900 disappearance of the Flannan Isles Lighthouse crew, it stars Gerard Butler, Peter Mullan, and Connor Swindells as three lighthouse keepers whose shift takes a dark turn. The film premiered at Sitges Film Festival in October 2018, which was followed by a United Kingdom release in March 2019
Probably better than the p.o.s movie with Robert Pattinson and the guy who plays "The Green Goblin" in the Raimi Spiderman movies. I think it was just called "The Lighthouse". I just remember Pattinson jerking off and the movie is shown in black n white and me not liking the movie
That's the most interesting thought of all. On the other hand , i've been on the ocean when it's been really bad in the northern Atlantic and I must say it is pretty terrifying at times even with a modern ship, with all of our gauges and so on. I have a little ptsd from it.
It’s always easy to say “if only they had just…” after knowing the future/putcome. But it’s pretty hard to see the future, and know if its safer to stay or go, to help someone or not, etc.
@@marcseclecticstuff9497 At least they would have been safe from the sea monster if they stayed inside...unless, of course, it was an amphibious sea monster.
Flannan Isle and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. I could see the Mumbles lighthouse from where I lived as a child so these two poems were often in my thoughts. Ah! the days before smartphones.
*Rogue waves* can reach up to 30 metres (100 feet) high. The supply box on Eilean Mòr was secured approximately 33 metres (110 feet) above sea level, so it is very conceivable that a rouge wave washed the keepers into the sea.
could a rogue wave been of such size as to reach so far up the island that it had moved a stone that weighed a ton ? Has there been such a wave since then? Seems incredible that such a thing happened only once in a hundred twenty two years
Ocean monitoring equipment has observed and recorded rogue waves on more than one occasion. They could easily do that level of damage. A rogue is basically what happens when a big wave overtakes and absorbs two other waves becoming a massive swell that could easily reach that. It's something we only learned about in the 20th century as ship building technology improved enough for sailors to survive them. Like you people didn't believe they were real until ocean monitoring technology recorded these massive waves that almost seem to come out of nowhere, wreak havoc and just disappear. @@heartland96a
@@Easter10000I’m not sure who the “They” you’re referring to is, or what “proof” they have ; but the Flannan Isle Mystery remains officially unsolved to this day.
Having witnessed 100 foot waves on an oil platform , I can assure folk that if one hit and island , the water would travel twice that height with ease before dissipating , these guys were washed away .
But the windows would have been smashed, the beds not "unmade" but strewn all over the shop and everything would have been soaking wet, no? They should have clocked that IMMEDIATELY. What am I missing?
As someone who lives where you can see more land than buildings, it always surprises me that Mother Nature isn't scary enough for most people? People will believe in cryptids but not a personified Mother Nature lol... Whether you are sciencey or whimsical, the forces of nature should be scarier to us all. The weather can take us at any time... whether we are swept out to sea or taken by ice on the roads... It's an unsettling thought,but to me far better than imagining that monsters are eating people, which is absolutely bananas.
I grew up on the Oregon coast in a small logging town .I spent lots of time on the ocean and in the forest.Both can take your life at any time .I totally agree with your statement
I was in the Navy and the ocean can be a scary place. I have been in storms that looked like the beginning of Gillian’s Island. My ship also lost gyro while going through the Bermuda Triangle which is why I believe magnetic fields screw up navigation systems leading to tragedy. I can totally get behind the rogue wave theory
Hats off to you for your service. I can barely watch those short videos where they have modern military ships or container ships crashing up and down in the Atlantic. I don't think I could do it - I think I would freak out with a big panic attack.
My BF was a pilot and told me that the density of the air makes a difference in the altitude of the plane. His theory was that maybe a big bubble of something(maybe methane) was released abruptly from the ocean floor and it rose quickly and maybe accounted for ships and planes going missing. Don't know if there is a lot if geothermal activity there. Scary stuff.
@@Back-handedLuck-ul7ms that’s a solid theory. That’s actually how mines work. They are designed to explode and make a huge air pocket under the ships keel (backbone) and the weight of the ship crashing back down on the water will break the backbone. I can totally see a methane air pocket doing that
I didn't know that was the way mines were designed to work. I always just thought that they were supposed to blow holes in the hull like torpedoes. Thanks for the info.
A few decades ago an engineer on an Icelandic coast guard ship snapped without any warning and killed an unsuspecting and innocent boy and a deck hand he had no known grudge to at all. Then he ran on deck and threw himself overboard and killed himself. Nobody has any idea why this happened and the engineer had shown no sign of disturbance. It’s a mystery why, but unlike this case, we know how.
Did you ever see a show or read the book named "The Terror"? This reminds me in a weird way about those kinds of strange things that happen in isolated places. And I think the psychology can fit the narrative of one of them going crazy, Although the amount of time, it seems to be a little bit short to freak out, but If you are an assistant and are kind of a replacement temporarily, maybe you haven't had that experience and it would scare you faster if there were strong winds and waves.
Something happened to one guy on the railing (wave) and the other guy saw this, ran to tell the other who knocked his chair over to run out not bothering to grab the raincoat due to the emergency and then they both tried to get to the first guy and were all swallowed by the waves. Thats what I think happened.
If McArthur had survived I can imagine him being viewed suspiciously by his community for the rest of his days. No; he's rushed out to help his colleagues having done his sea-boots, but the degree of urgency forbade him from putting on his sou'wester. Maybe one keeper got into an extremely perilous position, close to going into the sea and the other 2 risked life and limb to rescue him. The results that all three were washed into the cauldron! It could be that simple!
I believe it’s a perfectly logical explanation for how it happened. Probably it was a series of unfortunate events. It does happen, the issue always arises when there are no witnesses around. Then theories run rampant and wild
2 of the men went down to the docks to secure some rigging, got swept in the water, the 3rd guy saw, went down to help, also got taken by a wave, they all drowned the end. great story.
No huge mystery now. The Flannan Isle damage is what you'd expect from a wave -- the problem was the impossible height, but those investigators were very familiar with what the North Sea in winter. In Jan 1998: the Draupner platform (with sensors!) was hit by an 84 ft (26m) wave. Feb 2000: British research ship Discovery near Rockall (about 180 miles / 300 km from the Flannan Isles lighthouse) met a 95.5 ft (29m) wave; the train of monster waves continued for 5 days. Apparently due to high winds and wave resonance. Per the "no storm" thing, they report that the highest winds were on Feb 7 but highest waves were on the night of Feb 8-9. Now we know that none of these are particularly unusual. Monster waves are now seen daily on satellite imagery because NOW we know to look for them. (HOWEVER, for 2nd choice, would definitely have to go with the mustache theories.)
The explanation at the end seems certainly to be the case. It would be interesting to know what sort of wave height it would have taken to sweep them away. One in a million. Bad luck for sure.
It's pretty obvious when you consider the fact of a 5s. fine being charged against Ducat. Having completed their work for the day and having had their lunch, the three men noticed the approaching storm from the safety of the lighthouse. Principal Ducat and 2nd Assistant Marshall both agreed that they should make sure all of the 'landing equipment' was stored so they went to the East Landing, nothing to report. Same at the West Landing, no concerns other than the worsening weather. But it was whilst they were surveying this area that a huge rogue wave washed over the cliff, smashed the supply box to smithereens and caused dispalcement and subsidence across the area of grass that the two men were now standing on. That part of the cliff collapsed and knocked both men into the water. McArthur who was keeping an eye on them from a window, watched horrified as his two companions were washed into the sea. Racing down to the West Landing with a rope coiled on his arm, he hoped to throw out a line to the two men now floating like corks on the water. Both of them being tossed about like rag-dolls. McArthur's first attempt at throwing out a line fell short, so he made a second attempt but this time he got to close to the edge, just as the next huge wave rolled up the cliff. He too now joined his two companions in the water and there was nobody left on land to rescue any of them and nobody to tell future generation just what happened to them. Yet on dark nights it is said, that three lights are often seen burning in the area of the West Landing, but nobody has ever been found up there.
The Single most memorable part of the book for me was the description of how remote they were. So remote that the next Land mass is the eastern seaboard of the United States. Somehow I never ever forgot that.
Muriheads hypothesis seems the most likely of outcomes. I figured what was the likely outcome was Ducat and Marshal went out to secure the equipment on the landing leaving the younger guy at the lighthouse. He was likely watching them from the top of the tower and saw them in distress when a wave likely over taken them and he ran out to try to throw them a line or help where he could but sadly they all where swept off the landing.
The fine Ducat incurred previously seems like it's the key to what happened. As the weather worsened he likely realised he couldn't put off any longer making sure the items on the west landing were secure. A second fine would certainly been more substantial, perhaps accompanied by disciplinary action resulting in demotion. Unfortunately, he and Marshall left it half an hour too late. I'd say it was a wave rather than just the wind as MacArthur dashed out as a result of something specific he saw, not something he heard.
In one of their final log entries the lighthouse keepers chronicled a violent storm that was despite all unknown on the mainland, which was most likely a highly localized cell of low pressure a tornado touchdown fr instance, when that happens the sea water within the cell rises up and produces massive waves .. when the storm subsided two keepers went out to asses any storm damage and were washed away when the first massive wave struck .. the third keeper who had remained on station, witnessed the plume of spray caused by the wave and went to see whether his comrades were ok, when he started on down the track searching for them the second wave caught him.
Isn't it amazing that even over 100 years ago there were people around who had no formal training who thought they knew better than the experts seems some things never change.
Really is no explanation is there. You can guess and surmise and guess again but it’s a real mystery. Strange to see a photograph of ghosts of the past who left us with a real mystery. Magnificent picture of men in a service long gone who were as regimented as the military services. I hope whatever happened you didn’t suffer. Magnificent tashes really are.
Fascinating story. Supported by available evidence, and therefore most likely the truth. However, 100% certainty is very rare in these types of cases, even if there woud have been a survivor. Greetings from the Netherlands, T.
I think this is the most plausible explanation. The men obviously left in a hurry to complete a very important task and unfortunately lost their lives in the process. 🙏
This vid is very well produced and researched while avoiding endorsing reckless speculation- particularly, by rationally rejecting ridiculous paranormal explanations. I appreciate how the vid presents this tragedy in a dignified and appropriate (and entertaining) manner- far more so than a lot of the other vids that sensationalize this event. Cheers! (I agree with the hypothesis that a rogue wave/ (katabatic?) wind gust swept the keepers off of the islands headlands. It will remain a mystery. (But I agree with the conclusion- mother nature (and perhaps bad luck) is most likely to blame. Good vid!
It is with all horror mysteries that the unexplained has our curiosity with magnificent thoughts. Who's to say that aren't still there ? Wandering in an Altered state, in a ghost like presence. A twilight zone episode. Say Goodnight, Rod. And sweet dreams.
It was a rogue wave. End of story. Why is there a photograph of a vacant lot, filled with modern wood pallets, old 1980s sectional sofas, garbage and the steel cyclone fence in some of the parts of the video? It’s really weird.
It’s pretty clear what happened to them. Not sure why ppl are always so silly starting crazy conspiracy theories. Sometimes, tragedies happen. Poor guys. And their poor families. That would’ve been so devastating.
The hypothesis makes good sense, especially with McArthur being able to see the tsunami forming and rushing out to warn his colleagues. I guess another twist could be that McArthur instead went 'stir crazy' or had some kind of breakdown from fear of the weather that culminated as the storm rose, causing him to run wildly outside (fight or flight) without his oilskin. The other two men grabbed theirs and followed him but all three succumbed to the elements.
..Deep ones, Mustaches and falling boulders, weighing more than ton crashing down, an emergency loud enough for someone to run outside, without weather gear and be caught in the storm as well...
Accounts of this always mix up fact with later embellished fiction. The keepers would never have made comment in the log book about someone crying or stated something like God was over all. There were semi fictional versions of the story published later which people still think report facts.
I was one of the last three keepers stationed there in the late 60's during the automation and demanning process. I have my own basic theory of what happened but you would only understand it by being there and seeing the topography of the place. Pretty much all the serious theories that people come up with are absolute nonsense.
Just recently, I was watching a Nat Geo program on Ship sinkings and with the advent of more and better equipment, the theory of a massive rogue wave is becoming more acceptable. There have been certified "super sized" rogue waves happening further north.
Even on land storms can be very dangerous. I imagine that out there they must have brutal storms. I think they all got caught by the wind and storm and washed away in the sea
My brother in law lived in the old lighthouse keepers accomodation, Spooky place. I could see the light occasionally on clear nights from my childhood bedroom window. Even us locals cant come to a definitive answer as to what might have happened but the rouge wave theory seems most likely. The swells here can be absolutely biblical and can be truely amazing to witness. Great video! You didnt even butcher the pronunciations... too badly. 🤷🏻♂️😂
My guess is that 2 of the lighthouse keepers had to do a task outside while it was raining, so they wore their raincoats and the 3rd keeper had to do the housekeeping chores, but he was given orders to come outside and help the other two once it stopped raining. The task in question put them in reach of a rogue wave, or on a bad spot of land that broke off the island and fell into the sea.
If it had been at tsunami, it would’ve come in from the eastern seaboard of the United States across the Atlantic and broken over the Flannan and Scottish isles. There were no reports of high tide or even at tsunami hitting those Shores so I don’t think that theory holds. it will break over any landmass it encounters. Nor were there any reports from Iceland, Norway, or Sweden
They were eating soup together, moustaches became entwined, confusion rang out and bedlam ensued resulting in their untimely demise spilling over the cliffs
Another speculation to add to the list: Perhaps McArthur had passed away from a heart attack or stroke and the others went to inter him not wanting to have a body in the lighthouse. They, and the body were swept away. As the video mentioned, such notes were not made in the logbook, only weather conditions. Some historical weather conditions might be able to be searched out by a historian.
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Muirhead's hypothesis, or a variant thereof, makes the most sense to me. My own spin on it is that two keepers were outside when "it" happened. Based on modern knowledge, a rogue wave seems very plausible. The third keeper, either seeing the approaching wave OR otherwise perceiving that his teammates were in trouble (shouts for help?), rushed outside (without putting any wet weather gear on) to try and help them. He too was overwhelmed, by that rogue wave, the after effects of it, or even by a following wave.
The first two keepers heading out into a violent storm? That 5 shilling fine might have been preying on Ducat's mind. Then too, there might have been a lull in the storm, enough that they thought it would be OK to go outside for a short while and take care of a few things.
Yup, lots of 'mights' and 'maybes' there, but nothing implausible, I believe.
A sad tragedy. Given the remote and distinctive locale, it is easy to see why many people would look for something more to the story.
Do you know how big of a wave that needed to be???
@@joshcantrell8397 Try Googling 'extreme rogue wave events' some time.
Furthermore, our hypothetical wave wouldn't have to be high enough to overrun the entire island, just have enough oomph to push a cr#pton of water up high on it. It mightn't even have been the wave itself that took the keepers, but the resulting backwash afterwards.
I was at sea for twenty years during which time I saw plenty of rough weather and high seas. It's amazing just how high up cliffs large swells can travel let alone a rogue wave. I'm sure that the weather and sea conditions at the time were the root cause of this tragedy. If the equipment on the landing was not in danger from being overwhelmed why would the keepers need to go near it?. There are many cases of people, particularly inexperienced people, rushing to help those in trouble getting into trouble themselves, often with fatal consequences. Muirhead's hypotheses is to me by far the most plausible explanation.
@@KevinRudd-w8sI was light foot infantry, but I been on a few ships in my time around similar areas and further (with similar conditions) for training and what not…. I can fully believe that the sea is an absolutely formidable and unruly beast. It’s very very possible that this is the case… anyone can spend a full day at any beach along the UK coast and at some point in the day you’ll notice a wave that makes you think “Wowah that was huge!” So yeah, I agree with you, the dude that was at sea for years. Lol
Most plausible explanation, a rogue wave that caught them all off guard, so tragic.
I believe the rogue wave theory. I think the two who had their rain gear were doing routine work at the dock while the other was eating. The one in the lighthouse saw the swell and ran to warn the others. Maybe he got to close and was caught when the wave hit all of them. Maybe the wave hit while he was still higher but he ran to try to rescue one or both of them in the aftermath. Either way, he wasn't able to save them or save himself.
@@VTPSTTU the ocean usually spits back what it takes
Your wife doesn't @@David-tt1rb
Good theory. It is odd no remains turned up.
There was no storm like their log claims. Rogue waves don't require a storm. Wave or not, the storm part is the real culprit & cannot be explained. A rogue wave does't explain why the inside of the lighthouse still had loose things but flipped chairs & half eaten food. None of that would be there if it was smashed by a wave. How can chairs be flipped but bowls of food on a table be left untouched. Also doesn't explain how they disappeared
@@David-tt1rbnot when it is organic. The sea wastes nothing.
The supernatural theories are amusing. Though to me the simplest explanation is most likely the correct one. Two went out, there was trouble and the third went out after them. The fact he didn’t have his weather outfit meant he likely left in a hurry which enforces the likelihood something catastrophic happened to the other two and he instinctively rushed out without thinking.
Aliens.
So what happened to the bodies - what the ocean takes it usually spits back - humans have enough fat to ensure buoyancy
@@David-tt1rb I think that the very violent storm carried them out onto the rocks, pummeled them against the jagged rocks (piercing them) and then the were washed out. With their body pierces and ripped open that allowed bodily gasses to escape instead of being captured in the body, that made them less buoyant plus whatever weight from the clothes dragged the bodies under.
It’s possible it happened that way but considering the plethora of evidence presented here I don't know how anyone could not think… mermaid ghosts! 😂✌
@@JadeS-ww7sr
Nah, imho the safest bet would be that the two dudes with super-weird 'staches tired of the third dude's super-SUPER-weird 'stache - killing him off, of course - then fought to the death over who's remaining 'stache was sweeter. (Which was obviously the grunt's on the left, by the way.)
Personally I think each one of the men accidentally tripped over their own absolutely enormous moustaches, knocked themselves cold on the rocks below, whereupon the tide came in and claimed them.
I can get on board with this hypothesis. 🤷🏻♀️
Facts!
I think you may be right! Hahahahahaha
@@carolynjiminez1247 I'm surprised nobody has come up with this explanation before. Haven't they _seen_ that photo?
@@FrankieBlueEyes Facts indeed. That photograph showing the three men channelling their inner walruses should be fact enough.
This was the most detailed video I've seen about the tragedy. It was great
Coast to Coast AM did a whole hour long segment on them several years ago
great? tell that to the keepers
The simplest explanation is best, very bad weather and sea conditions, the keepers tried to minimise damage, got into trouble, all keepers tried to help and the sea got them all.
If there is one thing that you must always respect, the sea has no mercy and the unimaginable can occur in a flash. Big waves may be rare but they do happen.
I have seen one come from nowhere, rolled in, did no damage but left me unbelieving what I had seen.
Yup. The supernatural bs just cheapens the lives the guys actually lived.
@@sjc4there were no survivors numbnuts
This is the most detailed and accurate reporting of the Flannan Isle Lighthouse mystery. So many video on this topic are riddled with false/inaccurate info.
2:27
I always enjoy the mystery and storytelling channels, but I take them with a grain of salt, most of them are for entertainment not education.
@@AyeliaGDoren More mysterious if we aren't told of severe weather in the area ;)
They were obviously harvested by aliens for their mustaches.
😂
🤣🤣🤣
Lol, good one
Wow. Took you a long time to come up with that?
Well it's possible, those are some impressive mustaches.
The Vanishing (2018 film)
The Vanishing, previously titled Keepers, is a 2018 British psychological thriller drama film directed by Kristoffer Nyholm and written by Celyn Jones and Joe Bone. Based on the 1900 disappearance of the Flannan Isles Lighthouse crew, it stars Gerard Butler, Peter Mullan, and Connor Swindells as three lighthouse keepers whose shift takes a dark turn.
The film premiered at Sitges Film Festival in October 2018, which was followed by a United Kingdom release in March 2019
Probably better than the p.o.s movie with Robert Pattinson and the guy who plays "The Green Goblin" in the Raimi Spiderman movies. I think it was just called "The Lighthouse". I just remember Pattinson jerking off and the movie is shown in black n white and me not liking the movie
was such a shit movie
A good film indeed. The mercury poisoning idea was compelling
There is a famous poem about this happening called "Flannan Isle" by Wilfred Wilson Gibson which hints at a supernatural cause.
Never heard of it. Ill watch it thanks.
The sad thing is that if they had all stayed inside they would have survived.
They probably had no warning. They thought they were safe that high above the water.
Pretty sure the Aliens would have gotten them there too! It was either that or the Ghost Ship, none of the other scenarios are plausible...
That's the most interesting thought of all. On the other hand , i've been on the ocean when it's been really bad in the northern Atlantic and I must say it is pretty terrifying at times even with a modern ship, with all of our gauges and so on. I have a little ptsd from it.
It’s always easy to say “if only they had just…” after knowing the future/putcome.
But it’s pretty hard to see the future, and know if its safer to stay or go, to help someone or not, etc.
@@marcseclecticstuff9497 At least they would have been safe from the sea monster if they stayed inside...unless, of course, it was an amphibious sea monster.
I immediately recognised this as Flannen Isle.
We had the poem at school and it has stuck with me almost seventy years later. ❤️
Me too 😊
Me too. Not much on TV for children back then so our imaginations ran wild.
Same here
Flannan Isle and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. I could see the Mumbles lighthouse from where I lived as a child so these two poems were often in my thoughts. Ah! the days before smartphones.
Me too - 60 years ago at Salford Grammar School. 🙂
*Rogue waves* can reach up to 30 metres (100 feet) high. The supply box on Eilean Mòr was secured approximately 33 metres (110 feet) above sea level, so it is very conceivable that a rouge wave washed the keepers into the sea.
could a rogue wave been of such size as to reach so far up the island that it had moved a stone that weighed a ton ?
Has there been such a wave since then? Seems incredible that such a thing happened only once in a hundred twenty two years
Ocean monitoring equipment has observed and recorded rogue waves on more than one occasion. They could easily do that level of damage. A rogue is basically what happens when a big wave overtakes and absorbs two other waves becoming a massive swell that could easily reach that. It's something we only learned about in the 20th century as ship building technology improved enough for sailors to survive them. Like you people didn't believe they were real until ocean monitoring technology recorded these massive waves that almost seem to come out of nowhere, wreak havoc and just disappear. @@heartland96a
Yea are correct. This is what happened. They proved it
@@Easter10000I’m not sure who the “They” you’re referring to is, or what “proof” they have ; but the Flannan Isle Mystery remains officially unsolved to this day.
Yup. A minor point - a 30m tall wave would have a much higher runup when it reaches land.
3 poor souls lost their lives trying to earn money to feeds their families. RIP 💙
Well said 💔
Yes may they rest in peace 🙏❤️🌹
People die on the job every second of every day.
Don't get married
Does that mean that they SHOULD, and that's its perfectly ACCEPTABLE? I THINK NOT. Expect better from humankind.@Marcus_Octavius_Maximus
Having witnessed 100 foot waves on an oil platform , I can assure folk that if one hit and island , the water would travel twice that height with ease before dissipating , these guys were washed away .
But the windows would have been smashed, the beds not "unmade" but strewn all over the shop and everything would have been soaking wet, no? They should have clocked that IMMEDIATELY. What am I missing?
the two men were outside, the third man saw the swell and went running out to warn them, all were washed away. dude said the theory in the video
I have too you are bang on
It was either that or a ghost ship
As someone who lives where you can see more land than buildings, it always surprises me that Mother Nature isn't scary enough for most people? People will believe in cryptids but not a personified Mother Nature lol... Whether you are sciencey or whimsical, the forces of nature should be scarier to us all. The weather can take us at any time... whether we are swept out to sea or taken by ice on the roads... It's an unsettling thought,but to me far better than imagining that monsters are eating people, which is absolutely bananas.
Truth is usually stranger than fiction...I'm surprised they didn't accuse the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot.
@@Whocares125-u4k personally I think its arrogant that people assume that everything knowable is known.
I grew up on the Oregon coast in a small logging town .I spent lots of time on the ocean and in the forest.Both can take your life at any time .I totally agree with your statement
Both are infact true
Monsters eat bananas 🍌
I was in the Navy and the ocean can be a scary place. I have been in storms that looked like the beginning of Gillian’s Island. My ship also lost gyro while going through the Bermuda Triangle which is why I believe magnetic fields screw up navigation systems leading to tragedy. I can totally get behind the rogue wave theory
Hats off to you for your service. I can barely watch those short videos where they have modern military ships or container ships crashing up and down in the Atlantic. I don't think I could do it - I think I would freak out with a big panic attack.
My BF was a pilot and told me that the density of the air makes a difference in the altitude of the plane. His theory was that maybe a big bubble of something(maybe methane) was released abruptly from the ocean floor and it rose quickly and maybe accounted for ships and planes going missing. Don't know if there is a lot if geothermal activity there. Scary stuff.
@@Back-handedLuck-ul7ms that’s a solid theory. That’s actually how mines work. They are designed to explode and make a huge air pocket under the ships keel (backbone) and the weight of the ship crashing back down on the water will break the backbone. I can totally see a methane air pocket doing that
I didn't know that was the way mines were designed to work. I always just thought that they were supposed to blow holes in the hull like torpedoes. Thanks for the info.
A few decades ago an engineer on an Icelandic coast guard ship snapped without any warning and killed an unsuspecting and innocent boy and a deck hand he had no known grudge to at all. Then he ran on deck and threw himself overboard and killed himself. Nobody has any idea why this happened and the engineer had shown no sign of disturbance. It’s a mystery why, but unlike this case, we know how.
Was the engineer sporting a rather over-sized mustache?
Did you ever see a show or read the book named "The Terror"? This reminds me in a weird way about those kinds of strange things that happen in isolated places. And I think the psychology can fit the narrative of one of them going crazy, Although the amount of time, it seems to be a little bit short to freak out, but If you are an assistant and are kind of a replacement temporarily, maybe you haven't had that experience and it would scare you faster if there were strong winds and waves.
And?
Something happened to one guy on the railing (wave) and the other guy saw this, ran to tell the other who knocked his chair over to run out not bothering to grab the raincoat due to the emergency and then they both tried to get to the first guy and were all swallowed by the waves. Thats what I think happened.
This is the best and most detailed account I've ever seen. Compliments
2:27 - contemporary ship 🤣
This channel has won my heart ♥️
It’s like you’ve read my mind every time I see a new video 👏🏻
If McArthur had survived I can imagine him being viewed suspiciously by his community for the rest of his days.
No; he's rushed out to help his colleagues having done his sea-boots, but the degree of urgency forbade him from putting on his sou'wester. Maybe one keeper got into an extremely perilous position, close to going into the sea and the other 2 risked life and limb to rescue him. The results that all three were washed into the cauldron! It could be that simple!
I believe it’s a perfectly logical explanation for how it happened. Probably it was a series of unfortunate events. It does happen, the issue always arises when there are no witnesses around. Then theories run rampant and wild
Somebody actually named a relief vessel Hesperus?
Fun fact, this incident was the source for the Dr Who story Horror of Fang Rock.
2 of the men went down to the docks to secure some rigging, got swept in the water, the 3rd guy saw, went down to help, also got taken by a wave, they all drowned the end. great story.
That wave was out to take someone. Crazy how it could sweep away three grown men and leave people to wonder
Love when a new Bad Things pops up on the feed!
Same!
always an interesting mystery, i think what you said is the most plausible one
No huge mystery now. The Flannan Isle damage is what you'd expect from a wave -- the problem was the impossible height, but those investigators were very familiar with what the North Sea in winter.
In Jan 1998: the Draupner platform (with sensors!) was hit by an 84 ft (26m) wave. Feb 2000: British research ship Discovery near Rockall (about 180 miles / 300 km from the Flannan Isles lighthouse) met a 95.5 ft (29m) wave; the train of monster waves continued for 5 days. Apparently due to high winds and wave resonance. Per the "no storm" thing, they report that the highest winds were on Feb 7 but highest waves were on the night of Feb 8-9.
Now we know that none of these are particularly unusual. Monster waves are now seen daily on satellite imagery because NOW we know to look for them.
(HOWEVER, for 2nd choice, would definitely have to go with the mustache theories.)
It was not the North Sea, mmmmmm, The Outer Hebrides, The North atlantic. Ta
The explanation at the end seems certainly to be the case. It would be interesting to know what sort of wave height it would have taken to sweep them away. One in a million. Bad luck for sure.
If it twisted the railing then that's at least 200-350 feet above sea level.
It's pretty obvious when you consider the fact of a 5s. fine being charged against Ducat. Having completed their work for the day and having had their lunch, the three men noticed the approaching storm from the safety of the lighthouse. Principal Ducat and 2nd Assistant Marshall both agreed that they should make sure all of the 'landing equipment' was stored so they went to the East Landing, nothing to report. Same at the West Landing, no concerns other than the worsening weather. But it was whilst they were surveying this area that a huge rogue wave washed over the cliff, smashed the supply box to smithereens and caused dispalcement and subsidence across the area of grass that the two men were now standing on. That part of the cliff collapsed and knocked both men into the water. McArthur who was keeping an eye on them from a window, watched horrified as his two companions were washed into the sea. Racing down to the West Landing with a rope coiled on his arm, he hoped to throw out a line to the two men now floating like corks on the water. Both of them being tossed about like rag-dolls. McArthur's first attempt at throwing out a line fell short, so he made a second attempt but this time he got to close to the edge, just as the next huge wave rolled up the cliff. He too now joined his two companions in the water and there was nobody left on land to rescue any of them and nobody to tell future generation just what happened to them. Yet on dark nights it is said, that three lights are often seen burning in the area of the West Landing, but nobody has ever been found up there.
The Single most memorable part of the book for me was the description of how remote they were. So remote that the next Land mass is the eastern seaboard of the United States. Somehow I never ever forgot that.
This is absolute nonsense. You have clearly never looked at the island on a map.
@@dansmith7698 no you look on the map and you'll see if you travel outwards. I'm not talking about Scotland or the New Hebrides.
Alternate theory: I think that terrifying beast on McArthur's face killed and ate them all.
After turning on it's owner,...
Muriheads hypothesis seems the most likely of outcomes. I figured what was the likely outcome was Ducat and Marshal went out to secure the equipment on the landing leaving the younger guy at the lighthouse. He was likely watching them from the top of the tower and saw them in distress when a wave likely over taken them and he ran out to try to throw them a line or help where he could but sadly they all where swept off the landing.
Sharknado!
The one man went to help rhe others without his weather clothing and they were all swept away - tragically.
Spot on
@@loulou7963 Thank you - loulou
None of the theories expain how the railway track was ripped up...🤔
A strong storm surge
my bad.....I was hungry
I think the Dr Who serial "Horror at Fang Rock" provides the least likely explanation
Ahh, yes!
The fine Ducat incurred previously seems like it's the key to what happened. As the weather worsened he likely realised he couldn't put off any longer making sure the items on the west landing were secure. A second fine would certainly been more substantial, perhaps accompanied by disciplinary action resulting in demotion. Unfortunately, he and Marshall left it half an hour too late. I'd say it was a wave rather than just the wind as MacArthur dashed out as a result of something specific he saw, not something he heard.
They were hit by a rogue wave and drowned because of their waterlogged mustaches.
Why does that one guy look like a teenager with a fake mustache?
Probably was
Another great video from my favorite channel.
Thank you Jennifer!
In one of their final log entries the lighthouse keepers chronicled a violent storm that was despite all unknown on the mainland, which was most likely a highly localized cell of low pressure a tornado touchdown fr instance, when that happens the sea water within the cell rises up and produces massive waves .. when the storm subsided two keepers went out to asses any storm damage and were washed away when the first massive wave struck .. the third keeper who had remained on station, witnessed the plume of spray caused by the wave and went to see whether his comrades were ok, when he started on down the track searching for them the second wave caught him.
Isn't it amazing that even over 100 years ago there were people around who had no formal training who thought they knew better than the experts seems some things never change.
Yer fond of me lobster, aint ye
It twas a Rock lobster 🎶
As long as kitchen was clean 😂
Story-telling at its finest! Quite an intriguing tale. Thank you!!!
🌊🌊🌊
Thanks!
I'm going for a wave took them away and of course I immediately thought of William Dafoe🌊🌊🌊
Really is no explanation is there. You can guess and surmise and guess again but it’s a real mystery. Strange to see a photograph of ghosts of the past who left us with a real mystery. Magnificent picture of men in a service long gone who were as regimented as the military services. I hope whatever happened you didn’t suffer. Magnificent tashes really are.
The guy in the middle has 2 mustaches, one covers his mouth and the second is above his eyes. 😳
The biggest mystery of this tale is how a photo of some pallets and an old sofa has any relevance to the story!
😂 Puzzled me too.
I think I know what happened.... This is dispute over a mustache measuring contest gone horribly wrong
Fascinating story. Supported by available evidence, and therefore most likely the truth. However, 100% certainty is very rare in these types of cases, even if there woud have been a survivor.
Greetings from the Netherlands, T.
I think this is the most plausible explanation. The men obviously left in a hurry to complete a very important task and unfortunately lost their lives in the process. 🙏
The ravine full of trash really ties this video together.
Yes, whose idea was it to intersperse the video with what appears to be a photo of an instance of urban fly tipping?
This sort of thing used to happen regularly before the time when the Kim dynasty pinned Godzilla down with endless missile attacks from North Korea.
Finally someone with some common sense.
This vid is very well produced and researched while avoiding endorsing reckless speculation- particularly, by rationally rejecting ridiculous paranormal explanations. I appreciate how the vid presents this tragedy in a dignified and appropriate (and entertaining) manner- far more so than a lot of the other vids that sensationalize this event.
Cheers!
(I agree with the hypothesis that a rogue wave/ (katabatic?) wind gust swept the keepers off of the islands headlands. It will remain a mystery. (But I agree with the conclusion- mother nature (and perhaps bad luck) is most likely to blame.
Good vid!
Died of starvation having to give all their food to feed their growing mustaches.
It is with all horror mysteries that
the unexplained has our curiosity with
magnificent thoughts.
Who's to say that aren't still there ?
Wandering in an Altered state, in a ghost like presence. A twilight zone episode.
Say Goodnight, Rod. And sweet dreams.
It was a rogue wave. End of story.
Why is there a photograph of a vacant lot, filled with modern wood pallets, old 1980s sectional sofas, garbage and the steel cyclone fence in some of the parts of the video? It’s really weird.
2:26 is that a ship from 1900? 😂😂
One of the very few mysteries where aliens is just as plausible as any other alternative explanation.
Rogue waves are not just plausible, they are almost certainly what happened.
FYI: Eilean Mor literally means "big island"
There's two smaller islands there called Gealtair Mor & Gealtair Begh which seems to translate as the Big and Small cowards.
The wave theory makes the most sense and I feel like that’s more probably than other theories . It’s just weird that it got all 3 men .
old cases are so fascinating...
If The History Channel has taught me anything it's that Aliens did it 👌
Captain Kirk beaming them out is not an alien
Ocypuss big ocypusses
It seems pretty obvious a massive wave hit the island.
That's quite a collection of taches.
Love this channel
Fun Fact: The keeper in the middle of the picture was the inventor of the Mustache ride😂😂😂
When you've eliminated the imossible whatever remains however improbable must be the truth
Oh I recognise that comment very well! Very well said. 👍
They all ended up in the water from a wave ,and their mustaches got waterlogged and dragged them under to their deaths.
A ship full of prostitutes stopped by and they left with them ,sounds feasible !
It’s pretty clear what happened to them. Not sure why ppl are always so silly starting crazy conspiracy theories. Sometimes, tragedies happen. Poor guys. And their poor families. That would’ve been so devastating.
People tend to get superstitious when it comes to water. But the idea some rather believe a giant bird room each and everyone one of them is crazy.
The hypothesis makes good sense, especially with McArthur being able to see the tsunami forming and rushing out to warn his colleagues. I guess another twist could be that McArthur instead went 'stir crazy' or had some kind of breakdown from fear of the weather that culminated as the storm rose, causing him to run wildly outside (fight or flight) without his oilskin. The other two men grabbed theirs and followed him but all three succumbed to the elements.
I like to pretend to dissolve glass in powerful acid by dissolving sheets of ice in hot water.
..Deep ones, Mustaches and falling boulders, weighing more than ton crashing down, an emergency loud enough for someone to run outside, without weather gear and be caught in the storm as well...
Accounts of this always mix up fact with later embellished fiction. The keepers would never have made comment in the log book about someone crying or stated something like God was over all. There were semi fictional versions of the story published later which people still think report facts.
Obviously it was the Patron Saint of the "whodunnit" and other losers, San Andreas. Everything is San Andreas' Fault. 😜
A big alien being that sounds just like a Sky News presenter knocked on their front door, they answered it and it ate them..
I was one of the last three keepers stationed there in the late 60's during the automation and demanning process. I have my own basic theory of what happened but you would only understand it by being there and seeing the topography of the place.
Pretty much all the serious theories that people come up with are absolute nonsense.
Easy to say that you have a theory and then don't expand on that. Try us, or does it not sound realistic enough when you say it aloud.
Thank you.
that… has to be one big fake mustache.
Just recently, I was watching a Nat Geo program on Ship sinkings and with the advent of more and better equipment, the theory of a massive rogue wave is becoming more acceptable. There have been certified "super sized" rogue waves happening further north.
I've heard that weather records indicate no local storms at the time.
Even on land storms can be very dangerous. I imagine that out there they must have brutal storms. I think they all got caught by the wind and storm and washed away in the sea
I'm still really confused whether the kitchen was tidy or not. Did they ever find out?
Most likely the first 2 got swept into the sea by a freak wave and the third drowned trying to save them.
It seems that most pictures have absolutely nothing to do with the story. Sad, considering how easy it would be to find more appropriate pictures.
My brother in law lived in the old lighthouse keepers accomodation, Spooky place. I could see the light occasionally on clear nights from my childhood bedroom window. Even us locals cant come to a definitive answer as to what might have happened but the rouge wave theory seems most likely. The swells here can be absolutely biblical and can be truely amazing to witness.
Great video! You didnt even butcher the pronunciations... too badly. 🤷🏻♂️😂
My guess is that 2 of the lighthouse keepers had to do a task outside while it was raining, so they wore their raincoats and the 3rd keeper had to do the housekeeping chores, but he was given orders to come outside and help the other two once it stopped raining. The task in question put them in reach of a rogue wave, or on a bad spot of land that broke off the island and fell into the sea.
Could have been a sharknado. I hear those are terrifying!
Rumour has it, They tried to have a 3 man Diddy Party, and....
Tsunami
I think that too.
If it had been at tsunami, it would’ve come in from the eastern seaboard of the United States across the Atlantic and broken over the Flannan and Scottish isles. There were no reports of high tide or even at tsunami hitting those Shores so I don’t think that theory holds. it will break over any landmass it encounters. Nor were there any reports from Iceland, Norway, or Sweden
@@MsLouisVee OK so that’s not it. The mystery lives on.
Why did you delete my explanation?
My explanation of why it couldn’t be a tsunami was just deleted how come?
They were eating soup together, moustaches became entwined, confusion rang out and bedlam ensued resulting in their untimely demise spilling over the cliffs
Interesting story. I feel it is weather related that they disappeared. Either a wave, or they slipped and fell in. ❤😊
I can't see a wave that big overtaking them on land
Lore has it that the mustaches became self aware and harvested the the keepers for their nutrients.
no men and the food was gone , they have been kidnapped by someone , the only simple explanation
Most interesting mystery, the given here possible answer seems most plausible and as said, we can only guess what happened. RIP to the three keepers.
Another speculation to add to the list: Perhaps McArthur had passed away from a heart attack or stroke and the others went to inter him not wanting to have a body in the lighthouse. They, and the body were swept away. As the video mentioned, such notes were not made in the logbook, only weather conditions.
Some historical weather conditions might be able to be searched out by a historian.
I recall seeing a film about two lighthouse keepers who also met with misadventure. I think it was called "The Lighthouse". It starred Wilhem Dafoe.
"A sea monster or a ghost ship"? Seriously?
I didn't even know kidnapping was an option!