Terrifying & True | Flannan Isles Lighthouse

WEBVTT

1
00:00:01.679 --> 00:00:06.879
For a very long time. Workers
at lighthouses all over the world have been

2
00:00:06.879 --> 00:00:13.080
depicted as lonely men ready to go
mad at any time. But where did

3
00:00:13.400 --> 00:00:18.199
that come from? Where did that
cliche start? Well, it may have

4
00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:26.199
started in nineteen hundred in Scotland on
the Flannin Isles, where fact is scarier

5
00:00:26.199 --> 00:00:37.799
than fiction. What you were about
to spile based on witness accounts, testimal

6
00:00:37.880 --> 00:00:54.399
piece and public record, this is
terrifying and true. True. Hello,

7
00:00:54.560 --> 00:00:59.560
my dear friends. I was just
on the road in Chicago, Illinois,

8
00:00:59.679 --> 00:01:04.879
having some film related fun and work
along the way. Being away from home

9
00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:11.959
was refreshing, so I felt like
our creepy class tonight will take place on

10
00:01:11.120 --> 00:01:19.319
a distant aisle, the Lonely Flanin
Isles, a collection of isolated islands off

11
00:01:19.319 --> 00:01:25.120
the coast of Scotland, where the
mysterious disappearance of three lighthouse keepers triggered one

12
00:01:25.159 --> 00:01:32.400
of the longest running mysteries in maritime
history and sent chills down the spines of

13
00:01:32.519 --> 00:01:38.560
so many people. So make sure
you're comfortable and also get your sea legs

14
00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:57.159
ready. We'll learn all about this
story after these quick messages. Imagine the

15
00:01:57.319 --> 00:02:05.920
year is nineteen hundred and a dark, blustery and chilly December night, the

16
00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:12.719
Flannin Isles Lighthouse stands tall as a
beacon of hope amid perilous seas. The

17
00:02:12.840 --> 00:02:19.319
lighthouse keepers, on the other hand, mysteriously vanish on this infamous night,

18
00:02:20.280 --> 00:02:29.879
leaving behind a chilling trail of unanswered
questions and terrifying possibilities. James Ducat,

19
00:02:30.120 --> 00:02:36.639
Thomas Marshall, and Donald MacArthur,
three seasoned keepers in charge of the lighthouse's

20
00:02:36.680 --> 00:02:42.360
operation, start our tail. Their
job was to keep the light on and

21
00:02:42.479 --> 00:02:47.319
make sure that passing ships and their
crews were safe. But they had no

22
00:02:47.479 --> 00:02:53.919
idea that their every day routine would
soon turn into a mystery that has baffled

23
00:02:53.919 --> 00:03:01.919
investigators and captured the imaginations of so
many for more than a century. On

24
00:03:01.960 --> 00:03:07.719
the day that they vanished, the
flan And Aisles were approached by a steamer

25
00:03:07.240 --> 00:03:12.039
with the name S. S.
Arcter on its way to the shores of

26
00:03:12.080 --> 00:03:20.159
the United States. The lighthouse was
completely dark, an absolute departure from its

27
00:03:20.199 --> 00:03:28.080
normal operation, surprising the crew aboard. Concerned Chief James Harvey and his team

28
00:03:28.520 --> 00:03:34.560
set foot on the island to examine
it. They were mortified by what they

29
00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:40.719
found. Unsettling evidence of the keeper's
absence was the wide and unlocked entrance gate

30
00:03:40.800 --> 00:03:47.240
to the compound. The beds were
empty, the fireplace was cold, and

31
00:03:47.400 --> 00:03:55.479
personal belongings were all over the place, but the keepers seemed to vanish into

32
00:03:55.520 --> 00:04:02.080
thin air, both inside the light
house and across the rocky terrain. A

33
00:04:02.120 --> 00:04:09.800
meticulous search followed. There were no
signs of fighting, struggle, or foul

34
00:04:09.800 --> 00:04:15.519
play. The eerie silence and ominous
atmosphere were left behind by what appeared to

35
00:04:15.560 --> 00:04:24.800
be the keeper's inexplicable departure from their
position. As news of the disappearance spread,

36
00:04:25.279 --> 00:04:30.360
theories and speculation emerged. Some suggested
that a violent storm had swept the

37
00:04:30.480 --> 00:04:41.680
keepers away, claiming their lives.
Others proposed more sinister possibilities, supernatural forces,

38
00:04:42.439 --> 00:04:49.120
clandestine activities hidden beneath the lighthouses,
seemingly innocuous facade, and even alien

39
00:04:49.199 --> 00:04:56.000
abductions. One of the most haunting
clues in this enigma was an entry in

40
00:04:56.040 --> 00:05:00.759
the lighthouse log book, believed to
be written by James du Cat. It

41
00:05:00.839 --> 00:05:10.360
detailed a severe storm raging outside like
no other. Ducat described strange sounds echoing

42
00:05:10.399 --> 00:05:15.480
across the island and the waves crashing
against the rocks. With an other worldly

43
00:05:15.560 --> 00:05:21.600
force. The logbook's final entry,
written on December fifteenth, nineteen hundred,

44
00:05:23.360 --> 00:05:30.879
sent shivers down the spines of those
who discovered it. Ducat's words ominously stated,

45
00:05:30.920 --> 00:05:38.319
storm ended sea, calm, God
is overall. It was as if

46
00:05:38.399 --> 00:05:43.879
he had foreseen their fate, or
perhaps he was trying to convey a deeper

47
00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:49.600
hidden message. While the lighthouse log
book held valuable information leading up to the

48
00:05:49.639 --> 00:05:58.439
disappearance, there were missing pages that
raised suspicion. These missing pages contained crucial

49
00:05:58.600 --> 00:06:05.000
entries covering the days immediately prior to
the incident. Their absence has fueled speculation

50
00:06:05.120 --> 00:06:11.240
of a deliberate cover up or the
removal of evidence that could shed light on

51
00:06:11.399 --> 00:06:17.000
what truly transpired on the Flannin Niles. Could someone have tampered with the log

52
00:06:17.040 --> 00:06:24.839
book to hide the truth. In
the aftermath of the disappearance, investigators uncovered

53
00:06:24.879 --> 00:06:32.040
cryptic messages scribbled on the margins of
official documents within the lighthouse. These unsettling

54
00:06:32.079 --> 00:06:39.920
writings contained fragmented phrases and disjointed sentences, hinting at a growing sense of dread

55
00:06:40.360 --> 00:06:46.360
and an ominous presence haunting the keepers. Lines like whispers in the night,

56
00:06:47.319 --> 00:06:56.160
eyes in the shadows and the lighthouse
holds secrets were scrawled in a frenzied manner.

57
00:06:57.199 --> 00:07:03.600
Were these messages the desperate cry of
disturbed minds or clues left behind by

58
00:07:03.600 --> 00:07:13.879
the keepers as they unraveled the mysteries
of the island. The mystery didn't stop

59
00:07:13.959 --> 00:07:19.959
there. During the initial investigation,
peculiar footprints were discovered on the muddy path

60
00:07:20.360 --> 00:07:28.879
leading from the lighthouse to the rocky
cliffs. The prints appeared to be larger

61
00:07:29.560 --> 00:07:38.160
and more deformed than those of any
human or animal. Some experts theorized that

62
00:07:38.240 --> 00:07:44.160
these tracks belonged to an unknown creature, while others suggested they might have been

63
00:07:44.199 --> 00:07:50.600
distorted by the relentless weather conditions.
The existence of these bizarre footprints only added

64
00:07:50.600 --> 00:07:58.759
to the sense of foreboding surrounding the
case. What creature or entity could have

65
00:07:58.879 --> 00:08:07.600
left such haunting prince behind. Investigators
also uncovered a series of clandestine letters exchanged

66
00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:15.079
between one of the keepers and an
unknown recipient. The content of these letters

67
00:08:15.160 --> 00:08:20.800
was cryptic and laced with a sense
of urgency, alluding to hidden truths and

68
00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:28.600
dangerous knowledge. They spoke of forbidden
discoveries, a mysterious presence lurking in the

69
00:08:28.680 --> 00:08:37.639
shadows, and the need to protect
the world from an ancient evil. Who

70
00:08:37.720 --> 00:08:41.200
was the recipient of these letters and
what secrets were they trying to safeguard.

71
00:08:41.799 --> 00:08:50.200
Could these correspondences hold the key to
understanding the Flannin Isle's enigma. Over the

72
00:08:50.279 --> 00:08:56.759
years, numerous theories have emerged to
explain the Flannin Isles lighthouse disappearances, each

73
00:08:56.840 --> 00:09:05.519
one more strange engine eerie than the
last. Some believe that the keepers fell

74
00:09:05.639 --> 00:09:13.559
victim to the wrath of vengeful spirits
haunting the desolate island. Locals whispered tales

75
00:09:13.559 --> 00:09:20.799
of ghostly apparitions wandering the rocky shores, their tormented souls forever tied to the

76
00:09:20.919 --> 00:09:30.120
lighthouse. Others speculate that the keepers
stumbled upon something sinister, something that required

77
00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:37.360
their silence. They may have unknowingly
stumbled upon a clandestine operation, a secret

78
00:09:37.440 --> 00:09:43.960
rendezvous, smuggling activities, or even
a hidden treasure buried deep within the rocky

79
00:09:43.039 --> 00:09:50.559
cliffs of the island. But perhaps
the most unnerving theory of all is that

80
00:09:50.600 --> 00:09:58.320
the keepers succumbed to a force beyond
human comprehension, a malevolent entity lurking in

81
00:09:58.360 --> 00:10:03.519
the darkness, waiting to claim its
victims. Some believe that the Flannin Isles

82
00:10:03.639 --> 00:10:11.120
Lighthouse has always been a beacon for
the supernatural, a nexus where the boundaries

83
00:10:11.159 --> 00:10:16.320
between our world and the unknown intertwine. This is backed up by the fact

84
00:10:16.600 --> 00:10:22.759
that alongside the disappearance of the lighthouse
keepers, witnesses from nearby vessels reported peculiar

85
00:10:22.879 --> 00:10:28.879
lights emanating from the direction of the
flan And Isles Lighthouse on the night of

86
00:10:28.919 --> 00:10:37.120
the incident. Some describe them as
flickering ethereal lights that danced in the darkness,

87
00:10:37.919 --> 00:10:43.480
while others claim to have seen a
single intense beam of light shooting into

88
00:10:43.480 --> 00:10:52.480
the sky before abruptly vanishing. These
sightings have fueled speculation about possible extraterrestrial involvement

89
00:10:52.480 --> 00:11:00.320
or a connection to some kind of
other worldly phenomena. Additionally, in the

90
00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:05.799
days leading up to the disappearance,
there were reports of unusual malfunctions with the

91
00:11:05.879 --> 00:11:11.840
lighthouse equipment. Some accounts mentioned erratic
behavior of the light itself, with it

92
00:11:11.960 --> 00:11:18.759
flickering at irregular intervals or even going
out completely for brief periods. Other keepers

93
00:11:18.799 --> 00:11:26.080
from neighboring lighthouses reported experiencing similar issues
during the same time frame. Could these

94
00:11:26.120 --> 00:11:33.559
equipment malfunctions be a clue to an
underlying problem or a sign of outside interference.

95
00:11:33.679 --> 00:11:39.360
The vanishing of the flanton Isle's beacon
guardians stays inexplicable right up till now,

96
00:11:41.399 --> 00:11:48.679
leaving us with substantially more questions than
answers. Were they indeed swept away

97
00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:54.679
by the unforgiving sea as a result
of a tragic accident, Did they experience

98
00:11:54.679 --> 00:12:01.279
a power so unnerving that they were
headed to escape their post, abandoning their

99
00:12:01.320 --> 00:12:09.000
lives. Or did they discover something, a secret that caused their demise.

100
00:12:11.320 --> 00:12:16.639
We hope to uncover the mystery surrounding
this haunting case as we delve deeper into

101
00:12:16.679 --> 00:12:22.519
the archives and read accounts of those
who dared to look into the mystery of

102
00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:28.639
the Flannin Islands. So let's go
on an eerie journey through the unknown,

103
00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:37.279
where whispers of the lighthouse's secrets have
echoed throughout history. The Flanin Isle Lighthouse,

104
00:12:37.360 --> 00:12:43.399
according to some, is cursed because
of an ancient darkness that has stained

105
00:12:43.399 --> 00:12:50.480
its foundations. The island's turbulent history. Accounts of wrecks, puzzling vanishings,

106
00:12:50.519 --> 00:12:58.000
and frightful happenings add fuel to these
unpleasant cases. In the days leading up

107
00:12:58.039 --> 00:13:03.120
to the lighthouse keeper's disappearance. Conversations
with people who interacted with them also revealed

108
00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:09.799
startling discrepancies in their memories. While
some witnesses insisted that everything appeared to be

109
00:13:11.279 --> 00:13:16.519
perfectly normal, others mentioned a sense
of unease or unusual behavior on the part

110
00:13:16.559 --> 00:13:22.120
of the keepers. Questions about what
might have transpired in the days leading up

111
00:13:22.159 --> 00:13:28.639
to the fateful event are raised by
these contradictory accounts. Are the keepers just

112
00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:37.759
unfortunate victims of circumstance, or were
they acting out of character indicating a forthcoming

113
00:13:37.799 --> 00:13:45.720
tragedy. But as we navigate the
treacherous waters of speculation, we must also

114
00:13:45.799 --> 00:13:52.960
consider far more rational explanations. Perhaps
it was a violent storm that did claim

115
00:13:54.000 --> 00:13:58.480
the lives of the keepers, sweeping
them away in a tragic accident that left

116
00:13:58.480 --> 00:14:05.840
no trade behind. Or maybe a
series of unfortunate events unfolded leading to their

117
00:14:05.840 --> 00:14:15.600
disappearance, a sudden illness, a
fatal accident, or an unfortunate encounter with

118
00:14:15.679 --> 00:14:20.399
a rogue wave. Adding to that, life as a lighthouse keeper was known

119
00:14:20.440 --> 00:14:28.120
to be a mentally and emotionally demanding
occupation. The isolated nature of the job,

120
00:14:28.279 --> 00:14:31.799
combined with the relentless nature of the
elements often took a toll on one's

121
00:14:31.799 --> 00:14:39.279
psyche. Reports suggested that the keepers
on the flannin Asle had been showing signs

122
00:14:39.320 --> 00:14:45.679
of increasing stress and fatigue in the
months leading up to their disappearance. Some

123
00:14:45.840 --> 00:14:50.480
theorize that the extreme conditions, combined
with their prolonged seclusion, pushed them to

124
00:14:50.519 --> 00:14:58.240
the brink of sanity. Could this
psychological strain have led them to unravel,

125
00:14:58.240 --> 00:15:07.000
ultimately culminating in a tragic end.
Yet, as the years passed and the

126
00:15:07.039 --> 00:15:13.159
Flanninisle Lighthouse continued to stand as a
solitary sentinel in the vast ocean, the

127
00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:18.320
true fate of James Ducat, Thomas
Marshall, and Donald MacArthur remains a mystery.

128
00:15:20.120 --> 00:15:26.440
Their names etched into the annals of
the paranormal and the unsolved, a

129
00:15:26.480 --> 00:15:35.159
testament to the mysteries that defy explanation. Soon the years turned into decades,

130
00:15:35.399 --> 00:15:41.000
and the enigma of the flannin Isle
Lighthouse faded from the public consciousness, but

131
00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:46.559
it never truly vanished. The lighthouse, perched on its lonely island, became

132
00:15:46.600 --> 00:15:52.720
a haunting symbol of the mysteries that
lie beneath the surface of our world.

133
00:15:52.600 --> 00:15:58.360
In nineteen seventy one. Over seventy
years after the vanishing, a group of

134
00:15:58.480 --> 00:16:04.519
lighthouse keepers stationed on the neighboring alien
Moore Island reported a chilling encounter. They

135
00:16:04.600 --> 00:16:12.200
claimed to have heard disembodied voices carried
by the wind calling out names that were

136
00:16:12.279 --> 00:16:26.399
eerily familiar Ducat Marshal MacArthur. The
experience terrified them and reignited public interest in

137
00:16:26.440 --> 00:16:33.360
the unsolved case. Many speculated that
the spirits of the lost keepers still wandered

138
00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:42.159
the desolate Flannin Isle, trapped between
worlds eternally searching for answers. Another occurrence

139
00:16:42.200 --> 00:16:47.879
linked to the case as that of
a local fisherman who came forward years after

140
00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:52.919
the incident claiming to have seen an
unfamiliar boat anchored near the Flannin Isles during

141
00:16:52.960 --> 00:16:59.960
the time of the lighthousekeeper's disappearance.
According to his account, the boat appeared

142
00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:04.759
to be abandoned, with no signs
of life on board. The fishermen reported

143
00:17:04.759 --> 00:17:10.559
feeling a sense of unease and opted
to steer clear of the mysterious vessel.

144
00:17:11.000 --> 00:17:17.200
Could this boat have any connection to
the vanishing of the lighthousekeepers? Did they

145
00:17:17.319 --> 00:17:23.880
encounter someone or something on that boat
that led to their disappearance. In recent

146
00:17:25.000 --> 00:17:30.119
years, modern investigators have revisited the
Plan and Isles lighthouse disappearance, armed with

147
00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:40.039
advanced technology and fresh perspectives. They've
explored theories of paranormal activity, examined meteorological

148
00:17:40.079 --> 00:17:47.000
records, and scoured historical documents,
all in the search of truth. Some

149
00:17:47.160 --> 00:17:52.480
researchers argue that the log book entries
and the peculiar weather conditions on that stormy

150
00:17:52.759 --> 00:18:00.440
December night point to a phenomenon known
as rogue waves. These massive, unpredictable

151
00:18:00.480 --> 00:18:07.079
waves can appear seemingly out of nowhere
and engulf even the sturdiest vessels. Could

152
00:18:07.160 --> 00:18:14.000
such a wave have swept away the
keepers, leaving no trace behind. Others

153
00:18:14.079 --> 00:18:18.960
suggest that the lighthouse keepers, burdened
by the isolation and harsh conditions, succumbed

154
00:18:19.000 --> 00:18:26.680
to madness and desperation. The unrelenting
winds, the ceaseless pounding of the waves,

155
00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:32.759
and the complete and utter solitude may
have eroded their mental fortitude, leading

156
00:18:32.799 --> 00:18:40.519
them to make irrational choices. Yet, for all the theories and investigations,

157
00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:47.759
the true fate of James Ducat,
Thomas Marshall, and Donald MacArthur remains elusive.

158
00:18:48.839 --> 00:18:56.799
Their disappearance stands as a chilling reminder
of the vastness and unknowability of our

159
00:18:56.799 --> 00:19:04.079
world, a reminder that some secrets
may forever be locked away in the depths.

160
00:19:07.400 --> 00:19:12.799
This is a solid, good old
fashioned mystery, one that really makes

161
00:19:12.839 --> 00:19:21.599
you wonder and also pulls you into
its ambience. The idea of a lighthouse

162
00:19:21.960 --> 00:19:26.440
on a little island in the middle
of the ocean. That's the stuff of

163
00:19:26.559 --> 00:19:32.160
fantasy and of horror. In many
ways, it's a holdover to all the

164
00:19:32.240 --> 00:19:40.119
maritime fear that occurred throughout human history. It's impossible to count how many times

165
00:19:40.480 --> 00:19:45.799
people went off in boats and ships, never to return and with no one

166
00:19:45.880 --> 00:19:51.839
ever knowing what happened. And while
the ocean is considered soothing by many,

167
00:19:52.000 --> 00:19:57.920
something that can be calming and joyful
can slowly break away at your mindset.

168
00:19:59.640 --> 00:20:04.640
Hearing waves crashing over and over and
over may sound like the perfect situation for

169
00:20:04.680 --> 00:20:14.400
a nap, but try that for
six months straight. Eventually the sound of

170
00:20:14.400 --> 00:20:21.119
the waves changes to you. It
starts to sound like something else, something

171
00:20:21.400 --> 00:20:27.920
calling to you. Madness is a
strange thing, But what do you think

172
00:20:27.920 --> 00:20:32.839
out there? Do you think they
simply went mad, or do you think

173
00:20:32.880 --> 00:20:40.880
something deeply nefarious went down or hell? Could it be space Aliens? I

174
00:20:41.000 --> 00:20:47.920
want to know what you think more
than anything. Terrifying and True is narrated

175
00:20:47.960 --> 00:20:52.920
by Enrique Kuto. It's executive produced
by Rob Fields, produced by Daniel Wilder,

176
00:20:52.960 --> 00:20:56.880
with the original theme music by Ray
Maddis. If you have a story

177
00:20:56.920 --> 00:21:00.359
you'd like us to cover on the
program, send us an email at Weekly

178
00:21:00.480 --> 00:21:03.720
Spooky at gmail dot com. And
if you want to support us in a

179
00:21:03.880 --> 00:21:07.839
very direct way, go to Weekly
Spooky dot com and click on Patreon.

180
00:21:08.119 --> 00:21:11.400
For as little as one dollar a
month, you can support us and allow

181
00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:15.799
us to keep the Spooky rolling and
rolling and rolling. And I want to

182
00:21:15.799 --> 00:21:19.400
say a big thank you to our
Patreon podcast boosters, folks who page us

183
00:21:19.440 --> 00:21:22.079
a little bit more to hear their
names on the show. And they are

184
00:21:22.240 --> 00:21:26.839
boble Topia, Megan Hua, Julia
Kirsh, Christopher Sullivan, Brent McCollough,

185
00:21:27.000 --> 00:21:32.160
Gino Lyons, Steve King, Karen
weeme At, Jack Kerr and Craig Cohen.

186
00:21:32.279 --> 00:21:47.000
Thank you all so very much and
we'll see you next Monday.