The Ghost Blimp

On August 16, 1942, the U.S. Navy blimp L-8 lifted off from Treasure Island, San Francisco, at 6:03 AM on a routine anti-submarine patrol with two men aboard — Lieutenant Ernest DeWitt Cody and Ensign Charles Ellis Adams. At 7:42 AM they radioed that they were investigating a suspicious oil slick near the Farallon Islands, dropped smoke flares, and circled while two ships watched. Then came radio silence. Five hours after takeoff the blimp drifted ashore empty, touched down at Ocean Beach, lost a depth charge, rose again, and crashed at 11:30 AM on Bellevue Avenue in Daly City. Rescuers found the gondola empty — door open, radio working, parachutes and life raft still aboard — and no trace of Cody or Adams was ever found. The Navy's board ruled the abandonment involuntary and closed the case as 100% unknown. I'm Nate, and this is AmeriWeird: strange but true stories from across America.