The most mysterious disappearances that are hard to believe

As soon as a person or a group of people disappears without a trace, the construction of the most diverse, sometimes supernatural versions of what happened begins. The people in this collection have disappeared once and for all, and their stories have already grown into legends and rumors.

When a person disappears, and even worse - a group of people, it always raises questions. And also gives rise to a bunch of rumors. Sometimes this is how urban legends and other incredible stories appear. Most of the people on this list have disappeared for unknown reasons, and their whereabouts - dead or alive - have never been revealed. But if the disappearance of ships in the Bermuda Triangle can still be explained logically, then how could a man in a wheelchair who had a stroke disappear, leaving behind only a coat?

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Source: telegraph.co.uk

1. Intrepid explorer Percy Fawcett was last seen in 1925 leading the search for an ancient lost city in the jungles of Brazil with his son Jack. Many suspected that they were killed by local residents or torn to pieces by animals. Even more absurd versions were also put forward, for example, that Fawcett became the head of the tribe. His image partially inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to create a literary character - Professor Challenger.

2. In the late 16th century, a group of English colonists founded a settlement on Roanoke Island, in present-day Carolina. John White, an artist and friend of Sir Walter Reilly, was appointed governor. In 1587 White sailed home to England for a short period, then returned to Roanoke three years later. Arriving on the island, he found the colony deserted. Everyone disappeared without a trace, including the first English child born in the New World, Virginia Dare. To this day, no one knows what happened to the "lost colony".

3. In 1809, Benjamin Bathurst, a British diplomat, mysteriously disappeared in Germany while staying at a hotel. Various versions of his disappearance were discussed in the press: it could be murder, kidnapping by the French government, or suicide.

4. In 1763, a scandal erupted in the quiet village of Shepton Mallet. Owen Parfitt, 60, who suffered a stroke and was barely able to move, disappeared while sitting in a chair at the entrance to his sister's house. All that was left was his coat. The investigation of the incident did not lead to anything, the mystery remained unsolved.

5. Royal Navy diver Lionel "Buster" Crabbe disappeared mysteriously in 1956 when he was sent to spy on a Soviet ship. Later, a Russian claimed to have killed Crabbe when he found him planting a magnetic mine on the ship's hull. Some believe that he was captured and taken to the Soviet Union.

6. One of Britain's greatest unsolved mysteries is the disappearance of three lighthouse keepers on the Scottish island of Flannan in December 1900. Versions of their disappearance ranged from alien abduction to murder. But, most likely, they were simply washed out to sea during a storm.

7. British traveler George Bass became famous for his explorations in Australia. In February 1803 he went on a voyage to Tahiti and the Spanish colonies on the coast of Chile and did not return. Some historians suggest that he may have been recruited into the smuggling trade with Chile and killed there. In this photo you can see his image on a postage stamp.

8. On November 8, 1974, the day after his children's nanny was found beaten to death in his ex-wife's house, the British Lord Lucan disappeared. Although reports of him came from all over the world, he was never discovered. In 1999, he was officially declared dead.

9. When Edward IV unexpectedly died in 1483, his brother Richard III succeeded to the throne, declaring Edward's two young sons illegitimate. They were put up in the Tower of London and disappeared shortly thereafter. Popular legend has it that Richard killed the children, but the mystery remains to this day.

10. In 1948, a British plane with 31 passengers on board disappeared in the infamous Bermuda Triangle. During the investigation, no debris or bodies were found. The researchers involved in this case admitted that they did not have to solve a more difficult task than this. A year later, another British plane disappeared into the air somewhere between Bermuda and Jamaica.

11. The mysterious disappearance of Agatha Christie for 11 days in 1926 is the same mystery as those printed in her detective novels. The writer, who was eventually discovered at the Harrogate Hotel, never explained why she disappeared. Popular versions are considered a nervous breakdown and a desire to embarrass or worry her husband (who then announced his desire for a divorce). Others believe it was just a publicity stunt.

12. Victor Grayson, who became the first socialist elected to the English Parliament, mysteriously disappeared one evening in 1920, telling friends that he needed to stop by the Queen Hotel in Leicester Square for a while. There were rumors that the deputy had made quite a few enemies in the highest echelons of power. It is assumed that he was killed to stop an investigation he was conducting into government corruption.

13. In 1845, British explorer Sir John Franklin and his team of 128 disappeared after they went looking for the Northwest Passage. It is not known exactly what happened to the crew. An analysis of human remains found on Beechey and King Wilhelm Islands in the 1980s suggests that after their ships were stuck in the ice, many of the people died from disease, starvation and lead poisoning. There were also cases of cannibalism.