The Darkest Day in Carlsbad Caverns History

About this episode

The episode recounts the 1979 hostage situation at Carlsbad Caverns where armed men took control of the park, trapping over 100 visitors.

In 1979, armed men took control of one of America’s most famous national parks — 750 feet underground. More than 100 visitors were trapped inside the Big Room at Carlsbad Caverns while gunshots echoed through the darkness. The hostage takers demanded money, a flight to Brazil, and a reporter to tell their story. What happened next became one of the strangest and least-known incidents in National Park Service history. Join the PARKography Facebook group to discuss this episode and more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/parkography

Topics covered

• hostage situation
• national parks
• Carlsbad Caverns
• 1979 incident
• crime
• history

Keywords

• Carlsbad Caverns
• hostage situation
• 1979
• National Park Service
• crime
• darkness
• Big Room

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: National Park Service

Places: Carlsbad Caverns

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