What Happened To Michael Rockefeller After His Boat Capsized Near Papua New Guinea?

The Dutch colonial government in present-day Indonesia had limited access to a remote area due to its potential for cash crop cultivation. The seclusion caused officials to label it as a “no go” zone and almost completely sealed it off from outsiders.

The remote region’s isolation made it a good spot for young Americans to disappear without a trace, like Nelson Rockefeller’s son did during an expedition

The Strange Disappearance Of Michael Rockefeller

Michael Clark Rockefeller, the third son of US Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, and the great-grandson of John Davison Rockefeller Sr, a co-founder of Standard Oil, was a graduate of Harvard. He ventured to Papua, New Guinea in Indonesia to gather primitive art and photograph the people of the Asmat Tribe.

On November 17, 1961, Rockefeller and Dutch anthropologist René Wassing were near the shore when their boat capsized. Some reports say Rockefeller drowned trying to swim to shore, others say he made it to shore but was never seen again. Despite a two-week search with helicopters, ships, airplanes, and thousands of people, he could not be found. It was the largest search operation in the South Pacific.

 

At the age of 23, Michael Rockefeller vanished in a remote location, sparking rumors and conspiracy theories about his fate. One theory suggested he was killed and consumed by cannibals seeking retribution for a Dutch attack on their village. In 1964, three years after his disappearance, he was legally declared dead. However, the story continues.

The Mystery Man In The Footage

Eight years later, footage surfaced of a white man, naked and bearded, among a group of tribesmen on a New Guinea river. He was partially covered in war paint and paddling energetically.

 

A white face among a group of Papuan cannibals would be unusual, but in the context of the footage, it is both intriguing and perplexing.

Final Words

 

The question of what happened to Michael Rockefeller after his disappearance has been a subject of ongoing fascination for many years, and there is still no clear resolution. The theory that he joined a cannibal tribe offers an intriguing perspective on the case. Regardless of the outcome, the unsolved mystery of Michael Rockefeller’s disappearance continues to be a captivating topic. What is your opinion on the possible fate of Michael Rockefeller?