Tiburón Island Tragedy facts for kids
The Tiburón Island Tragedy, also known as the Grindell expedition, happened in 1905. Three American gold prospectors went missing in the hot Sonoran Desert. This area is near Tiburón Island (which means "Shark Island"). At that time, the Seri natives lived on Tiburón Island. However, the only American who survived, Jack Hoffman, said the Seri people were not responsible for the deaths.
The expedition was supposed to return by August 1905. It included Thomas F. Grindell, who was a teacher, Gus Olinder Ralls, D. Ingram, and Jack Hoffman. They also had a Papago guide named Dolores Valenzuela.
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The Dangerous Journey
The men on the expedition likely died from hunger and thirst. Jack Hoffman reported that Grindell had only one donkey carry all their water through the desert. Their equipment for cleaning water broke down. Because of this, Valenzuela, the guide, left the group. The four American men decided to keep going. They hoped to find a boat to take them to Tiburón Island.
Jack Hoffman's Survival Story
Jack Hoffman was alone for four months after the group split up. He traveled about 150 miles from Tiburón Island to Guaymas. When he arrived, he was "naked [and] blackened by the sun." He was the only one who survived the original group.
The Search for the Lost Expedition
After the men went missing, Edward P. Grindell, Thomas's brother, started another expedition. He wanted to find out what happened to his brother and the others. The governor at the time, Rafael Izábal, allowed Edward Grindell to search.
Finding Clues in the Desert
Edward Grindell hired twelve Papago scouts to help. They also looked for Valenzuela, the guide, who was reportedly "afraid of the government." It was a serious matter for a guide to return without the people they were guiding.
The first clue was found at Coyote Springs, New Mexico. Then, they found a campsite, and another one further along. They discovered items from the expedition. These included a book about marine science that belonged to one of the men. They also found the bodies of the pack animals.
The Arizona Rangers also joined the search. They had fought alongside Thomas Grindell in the past. However, their search did not find anything.
The Sad Discovery
On Monday, December 25, 1906, Thomas Grindell's body was found. It was confirmed that he had died because he was very dehydrated. This meant he had not had enough water.
Even though Thomas's body was found, Edward could not get insurance money. The cost of the search expedition was more than the insurance money. Valenzuela's body was never found. This left Jack Hoffman as the only confirmed survivor of the Tiburón Island Tragedy.
