Man trapped in cave for 17 days before dying in horrific way became morbid tourist attraction

It's been 100 years since cave-explorer Floyd Collins' name was first splashed across global headlines, and still, his harrowing case continues to haunt the morbidly curious.

Since his childhood years, the 37-year-old had harboured the rather niche hobby of finding quaint mountains and rocky terrains, developing a specific interest in cave exploration.

In 1917, Collins was lucky enough to stumble on a wondrous goldmine of crystals in a crevice underneath his farmer's Logan County, Kentucky farm, which was littered with unique helictite and gypsum cave formations.

In the years that followed, he transformed the area into a licensed tourist attraction - though, due to the remoteness of the road towards his newfound paradise, he garnered only a handful of customers.

Collins had been exploring caves for sun since his childhood years (Bettmann/Getty Image)

By 1925, Collins had set his sights on another nearby cave - known as Sand Cave - which would have higher footfall. After promising the owner of the land that he'd split the profits of anything he'd found, he was granted permission to explore.

In January of that year, he set out on his mission, carrying only a single kerosene lantern with him.

Just a matter of metres in, however, and Collins began to encounter tight tunnels and tiny spaces - so much so, that he was forced to crawl through the cave on his stomach, carrying the light out in front of him.

After some time, his lantern began to flicker, forcing him to begin his journey back to the surface.

Tragically, however, whilst making his way back to civilisation, Collins' foot inadvertently dislodged a colossal, 27 pound boulder, which wedged his ankle against the cave wall. Trapped in an awkward position, the explorer ceaselessly attempted to free himself - to no avail.

Several rescue teams were formed in a bid to save Collins (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

After a passerby heard Collins' cry for help, a rescue team was formed.

Within the days that followed, hundreds of spectators rushed to the area - including engineers, geologists, and cavers from all over the United States, as well as miners, journalists and police officers.

As such, the location in which Collins' had become trapped became something of a tourist attraction.

Over a period of 17 days, the group attempted digging towards Collins, tried pry bars to free his foot, and at one point, they considered throwing a rope down to him. Though, it was later agreed that the latter suggestion would likely leave him without a foot.

On top of this, not only did the crevice that had been used to pass Collins food and water suddenly collapse, but arguments had begun ensuing between the various rescue teams.

Followers of the case came together from across the country (Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)

And with the added hassle of severe weather, a plethora of plans were postulated before being quickly.

By February, however, the group had agreed that the best means of reaching the explorer would be to dig a new shift down from the surface.

The extreme nature of his project meant, though, that the cave would take several weeks further.

On 16 February 1925, the rescuers eventually reached Collins.

Tragically, however, he'd died three days prior, with coroners later putting the cause of his passing down to both starvation and exposure.

Sand Cave was subsequently sealed off, whilst his family mourned their loss, with Collins' body only being recovered in the months that followed.

It was then moved to a burial site near his family's home and Crystal Cave.

Collins' case remains to this day a source of fascination to vast numbers of people, many of whom still visit the Sand Cave site.

Floyd's body was eventually recovered from the cave (Keystone View Company/FPG/Archive Photos/Getty Images)

It also drew global attention to Kentucky's cave country, as well as the importance of keeping it protected, and inspired the creation of Mammoth Cave National Park in 1941.

In a twisted turn of events, attempts were made to steal Collins' corpse, and unfortunately one thief was successful in 1929. Police were able to retrieve Collins' body, but by the time they got to it, he was missing a leg.

All the weirdness surrounding the peoples' fascination with Collins' body came to an end in the 60s, when the National Park Service bought Crystal Cave and limited the access to his tomb. Luckily, the explorer is now able to rest in peace.