By nature, daredevils like to play outside the rules and push the envelope, ignoring the risks in the process. Sometimes, it pays off spectacularly, and the daredevil gets the glory he was seeking. But other times, things don’t go as planned.
Parachutist George Hopkins, shown in this colorized photo, had an idea for a crazy publicity stunt in 1941. (mycountry955.com)
Such was the case for George Hopkins in 1941. In these colorized photos, we will take a look at the crazy stunt that landed him on top of Wyoming’s Devil’s Tower with no way down.
George Hopkins, Parachutist
A colorized pic of Hopkins preparing to jump for a plane. (kgab.com)
In the 1940s, parachuting was gaining in popularity but was still in its infancy. The military used parachutes in World War I to allow pilots to exit their crashing planes, and they were being used in the present war, World War II, to drop soldiers behind enemy lines. But the general public still raised an eyebrow at the idea of jumping out of a perfectly good airplane, trusting a thin piece of fabric to prevent them from crashing to earth. George Hopkins hoped to change that perspective. He already had a number of impressive jumps under his belt, but he decided to ramp it up a notch for his next publicity stunt.
An Audacious Plan
Hopkins wanted to set a world record ... and do it with a flair. (youtube)
For George Hopkins’s latest publicity stunt, the parachutist planned to set a world record for the highest number of parachute jumps in a single day. Setting a world record wasn’t good enough for Hopkins. He wanted to make sure to attract as much publicity to his stunt as possible, so he decided to make the final jump of the day a spectacular one. What could be more spectacular, he thought, than to land his parachute on top of Devil’s Tower in Wyoming, and then rappel down from there?
Devil’s Tower
Look closely above Devil's Tower in this colorized pic. That's George Hopkins parachuting to the top of the butte. (youtube)
Jutting some 867 feet from the prairie below, Devil’s Tower in Wyoming is a curious natural feature. Formed from cooling magma about 65 million years ago, Devil’s Tower resembles a butte but is made of igneous rock that solidified into columns as it cooled. The top of Devil’s Tower is rocky but relatively flat and is roughly an acre in size. Plenty of room, Hopkins reasons, to safely land with his parachute. He set his plans in motion, but he never sought permission from the National Parks Service, which owned Devil’s Tower, nor did he inform them of his plan. Instead, he packed his parachute and his rappelling gear and made ready for the jump.
Oops!
As this colorized pic from 1941 shows, George Hopkins and his parachute made it to the top of Devil's Tower. His rappelling gear, however, did not. (allthatsinteresting.com)
On October 3, 1941, Hopkins hopped in a plane and, as planned, leaped from that aircraft with his parachute in place. He hit his target without issue and was soon standing safely atop Devil’s Tower. A moment after his jump, his assistant tossed out Hopkins’s rappelling rope. It, too, landed on top of the butte, but it took an unexpected bounce and went over the side. Without his rappelling gear, George Hopkins was stranded on top of Devil’s Tower.
Attracting a Crowd …And the Authorities
Devil's Tower, Wyoming, 1890. (Photo by John C.H. Grabill/Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images)
Word quickly spread around the region that a parachutist was stuck on Devil’s Tower. Residents gathered at the base of the tower to see what was going on. Joining them were reporters with cameras and, of course, officials from the National Parks Service. The latter was none too happy. They announced a two-step approach to the problem. First, bring Hopkins down safely. Second, arrest him.
Throw Him a Rope
The National Parks Service was tasked with bringing Hopkins down. (youtube)
For their first attempt, the National Parks Service sent up another plane with a rope in it. This rope was also dropped to Hopkins and, unlike the first one, it remains on the plateau. But it landed in a tangled heap. Hopkins couldn’t unknot the mess. By this time, nightfall was approaching. There was no way Hopkins could untie the knotted rope and safety descent to the ground before dark. They needed a Plan B. The plane was sent up once again, this time loaded with food, water, blankets, a makeshift shelter, and coal. Hopkins made ready to spend the night on top of Devil’s Tower.
Too Risky
Hopkins's exploit made headlines across the country. (kgab.com)
By morning, the officials at the National Parks Service announced that they felt it would be too risky for George Hopkins, who was not an experienced rock climber, to rappel down Devil’s Town unaided. They did not want Hopkins to fall to his death, especially with the eyes of the nation on Devil’s Tower. That would be bad for tourism. Instead, it was announced that Hopkins would have to remain in his perch until the National Parks Service could locate a professional rock climber who could assist Hopkins in his descent. More supplies were airdropped to the stranded parachutist to get him through the next several days.
Finally Rescued
A colorized pic of Hopkins with officials from the National Parks Service. (nps.gov)
The National Parks Service ended up with a team of eight experienced rock climbers. On the morning of October 6, they began their climb up the jagged side of Devil’s Tower. They reached the top without incident. Hours later, the team had George Hopkins safely on the ground, to the cheers of the crowd of onlookers. And there was a surprise twist. With news cameras rolling, the National Parks Service announced that they were dropping all charges against Hopkins. The publicity Devil’s Tower received from the incident caused a spike in tourism. The NPS didn’t want to detract from the positive press they were getting.
