Floyd Collins, remembered as the 'greatest cave explorer ever known', met a tragic end in 1925 when he became trapped for 17 days in Sand Cave, Kentucky. Despite a massive rescue effort, he died before rescuers could reach him. His body was eventually recovered and buried on his family's farm.
Two years later, the new owner of the land exhumed Collins's remains and placed them in a glass-topped coffin in the centre of Crystal Cave, which Collins himself had discovered. The intention was to attract tourists, but instead, the display sparked a bizarre series of events. Visitors attempted to steal the body, and one succeeded in 1929.
The stolen body was later recovered, but it was not until 1989 that Collins was finally given a permanent burial at Mammoth Cave Baptist Church Cemetery. His remains now rest in peace, but the story of his exploitation after death remains a macabre footnote in the history of cave exploration.
