On October 20, 1928, Glen and Bessie Hyde launched a self-built wooden sweep boat named Rain-in-the-Face from Green River, Utah. The newlyweds aimed to set a world speed record by paddling down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, a feat that would have made Bessie the first woman to navigate this stretch of water. However, shortly after their departure, the couple mysteriously disappeared. They were last seen alive on November 18, 1928. Three weeks later, rescuers located their abandoned vessel near river mile 237, fully packed with their belongings, yet Glen and Bessie were nowhere to be found.
Peter Runge, a historian at Northern Arizona University, describes the case as one of the Grand Canyon's most perplexing unsolved mysteries. According to author Brad Dimock, who published a book on the incident in 1996 titled Sunk Without a Sound, Glen was an experienced outdoorsman who had previously rowed rivers in Idaho. He met Bessie in 1925 while traveling from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and they married six months before their fateful journey. At the time of their disappearance, Glen was 29 years old and Bessie was 22.
The conditions during their November voyage were volatile, characterized by chilly temperatures, unexpected rain, wind, and potential snow. Runge notes that the Colorado River at that time was undammed and significantly more hazardous than it is today. Visual evidence from photographs suggests a shift in the couple's demeanor; while early images show excitement, later photos depict Bessie looking tired and worn out. This exhaustion may have been exacerbated by their heavy gear, including leather, wool, and fur jackets that would become difficult to manage if wet. Furthermore, neither was wearing a life jacket, meaning their clothing could have weighed them down in the turbulent water.
The design of the boat itself is considered a critical factor in the tragedy. Glen constructed the 20-foot scow based on designs common in the Pacific Northwest for transporting freight on calmer waters. Unlike rowboats or rafts, sweep boats use oars at the bow and stern to change the vessel's angle rather than propel it forward. Runge argues that this cumbersome design was ill-suited for the robust rapids of the Colorado River. He theorizes that the boat likely struck an underwater rock formation, causing it to buck and throw both Glen and Bessie into the river. The fact that all their belongings, including cameras and diaries, were found on the boat supports the theory that they were ejected during a sudden impact.
Over the decades, various theories have emerged regarding the couple's fate. In 1971, a woman named Elizabeth Cutler claimed to be Bessie, alleging she had stabbed her husband before hiking out of the canyon, though she later recanted and no evidence supported her story. Another theory suggested that pioneering river runner Georgie White was actually Bessie Hyde, based on documents found among White's belongings after her death in 1992. However, Runge dismisses this due to timeline discrepancies, noting that White began exploring the canyon in 1945. A third theory arose from a skeleton discovered in the garage of photographer Emery Kolb, which some speculated belonged to Glen. Medical examiners identified the remains as those of a young man with a bullet in his skull, but no evidence linked them to the Hydes.
Despite nearly a century passing, the lack of recovered bodies and definitive answers has kept the legend alive within the river-running community. Runge observes that guides often share these stories as part of the cultural experience for passengers. While the mystery remains unsolved, Bessie Hyde is still recognized in some circles for holding the record as the first woman to run Cataract Canyon and much of the Grand Canyon.
Sources: Outside.