Exploring the Unknown: Selected Documents in ... - The Black Vault

Exploring the Unknown 209
to record all the switch positions just like we had planned. I took the survival knife
out of the door and put it into the raft. All switches were left just the way they were
at impact, with the exception of the rescue aids and I recorded these by marking
them down on the switch chart in the map case and then put it back in the map
case. I told Hunt Club they were clear to come in and pick me up whenever they
could. Then, I told them as soon as they had me hooked and were ready, I would
disconnect my helmet take it off, power down the capsule, blow the hatch, and
come out. They said, “Roger,” and so, in the meantime, I took the pins off both
the top and the bottom of the hatch to make sure the wires wouldn’t be in the
way, and then took the cover off the detonator.
12. I was just waiting for their call when all at once, the hatch went. I had the
cap off and the safety pin out, but I don’t think that I hit the button. The capsule
was rocking around a little but there weren’t any loose items in the capsule, so I
don’t see how I could have hit it, but possibly I did. I had my helmet unbuttoned
and it wasn’t a loud report. There wasn’t any doubt in my mind as to what had
happened. I looked out and saw nothing but blue sky and water starting to ship
into the capsule. My first thought was to get out, and I did. As I got out, I saw the
chopper was having trouble hooking onto the capsule. He was frantically fishing
for the recovery loop. The recovery compartment was just out of the water at this
time and I swam over to help him get his hook through the loop. I made sure I
wasn’t tangled anyplace in the capsule before swimming toward the capsule. Just as
I reached the capsule, he hooked it and started lifting the capsule clear. He hauled
the capsule away from me a little bit and didn’t drop the horsecollar down. I was
floating, shipping water all the time, swallowing some, and I thought one of the
other helicopters would come in and get me. I guess I wasn’t in the water very long
but it seemed like an eternity to me. Then, when they did bring the other copter
in, they had a rough time getting the horsecollar to me. They got in within about
20 feet and couldn’t seem to get it any closer. When I got the horsecollar, I had
a hard time getting it on, but I finally got into it. By this time, I was getting a little
tired. Swimming in the suit is difficult, even though it does help keep you somewhat
afloat. A few waves were breaking over my head and I was swallowing some water.
They pulled me up inside and then told me they had lost the capsule.
13. Before I end this debriefing, I want to say that I’ll ever be grateful to Wally
[Astronaut Walter Schirra] for the work he did on the neck dam. If I hadn’t had
the neck dam up, I think I would have drowned before anyone could have gotten
to me. I just can’t get over the fact that the neck dam is what saved me today.
Document I-39
Document Title: Robert R. Gilruth, Director, Space Task Group, NASA, to
Marshall, NASA, (attention: Dr. Wernher von Braun), “Termination of Mercury
Redstone Program,” 23 August 1961.
Source: National Archives and Record Administration, Fort Worth, Texas.