Glen & Bessie Hyde

In October 1928, Glen Rollin Hyde (29) and his bride Bessie Louise Hyde (22) set out to run the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon on a homemade wooden scow—a flat-bottomed boat. If successful, Bessie would have been the first woman known to complete the journey. The couple had already navigated portions of the Snake and Salmon Rivers in Idaho and were experienced, if unconventional, river runners.

The Hydes launched from Green River, Utah on October 20 and made good progress through Glen Canyon and Marble Canyon. On November 15, they encountered Emery Kolb, the famous Grand Canyon photographer and river runner, at the South Rim. Kolb offered them life jackets, which Glen declined. He photographed the couple, and these are the last known images of them. They were last seen heading downstream on November 18.

When the Hydes failed to arrive at Needles, California as scheduled, Glen's father Rollin Hyde organized a search. On December 19, their scow was found drifting intact in calm water near Mile 237 of the Colorado River. The boat was upright, their belongings were aboard, and there was no sign of damage or capsize. Bessie's diary, containing entries up to November 30, was found, along with a camera with exposed film. But Glen and Bessie were gone.

The mystery of what happened to the Hydes has never been solved. Theories include drowning in rapids (though the boat showed no signs of capsizing), murder (possibly a domestic dispute), or an encounter with unknown persons. In 1971, a woman named Georgie White, a well-known river guide, was rumored to be Bessie Hyde living under a false identity, but this was never confirmed. No remains of either Glen or Bessie have ever been found.