05 November 2023 , 20:21
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A bus driver along with 26 children lived a harrowing tale of escape and survival to avoid being buried alive.
In a heart-wrenching documentary set to premiere on December 3, survivors of the infamous Chowchilla kidnapping incident recount their harrowing fight for survival, detailing the desperate struggle to stay alive and avoid being buried alive in a makeshift bunker. The incident, which occurred on July 15, 1976, shocked the nation when 26 children and their school bus driver were abducted at gunpoint by kidnappers demanding a $5 million ransom.
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The survivors, now adults, reveal their terrifying ordeal during the 16-hour standoff. The youngest victim was just five years old, and the oldest was 14.
Workers unearth the buried kidnap van in Livermore quarry (Tribune News Service via Getty Images)The kidnappers, armed and menacing, drove the terrified children and their 55-year-old school bus driver, Ed Ray, in two locked vans for over 100 miles before burying them alive in a rock quarry.
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The documentary, produced by CNN, features never-before-heard accounts from the survivors, shedding light on their unimaginable bravery and determination to escape. One of the central figures in the story, Michael Marshall, then 14 years old, emerges as a hero in the face of grave danger.
The three Chowchilla school bus kidnappers pictured after being sentenced to life imprisonment (Getty Images)Marshall's audacious plan and leadership inspired his fellow captives, giving them hope and strength amidst the dire circumstances. "If we're gonna die, we're gonna die getting out of here," Marshall, now 61, recalls in an excerpt from the upcoming film. His efforts, along with those of his fellow captives and Ed Ray, ultimately led to their escape.
The survivors describe how, as the air ran out and the roof of their makeshift prison started caving in, Marshall took charge. With ingenuity and determination, he devised a plan to stack mattresses and reach the collapsing ceiling, clawing their way out of the burial site as dirt funnelled in.
Large cases of water lined the tomb's interior (ALAMEDA COUNTY D.A.'S OFFICE)The escape took place before the kidnappers could even make their ransom demands, as the Chowchilla Police Department phone lines were overloaded with calls from media and frantic family members. The kidnappers, identified as Frederick Woods and the Schoenfeld brothers, were later captured, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison. Woods, the mastermind behind the plot, had even considered turning the horrific incident into a movie shortly after his arrest.
The Dairyland Union School bus from which the children and their bus driver were kidnapped (Getty Images)The survivors' accounts show the lasting trauma they faced, with many falling into a world of addiction and haunted by the events of that fateful day. Despite the passage of nearly five decades, the survivors are only now beginning to piece their lives back together.