The Tragedy Behind ‘And the Sea Shall Hide Them’: A Utila Legend

A True Story of Horror, Heroism, and the Haunted Memory of a Small Island

A Night of Terror on Calm Waters

On June 30, 1905, the schooner Olympia set sail from Eastern Harbor, Utila, under seemingly peaceful conditions. The crew of six and the same number of passengers were destined for Roatán and then the mainland, including passengers like Miss Elsie Morgan, her sister, brother-in-law, their infant child, and two young girls. But among them was a hidden 13th presence—Robert McField, a man whose name would soon be seared into the island’s darkest memory.

Utila, a tranquil island known for its tight-knit community, could never have imagined the cruelty about to unfold just miles from its shores. McField, once respected but recently given to alcohol and anger, concealed himself aboard the vessel. As the ship moved under a dim moon, five miles off the coast, McField emerged armed with a pistol and a Winchester rifle. What followed was one of the most brutal maritime massacres in Bay Islands history.

Massacre at Sea

According to survivor testimony and McField’s own later confession, the killing began with the helmsman, Vanvick—McField’s closest friend—whom he shot in the back. Then Captain White Bush, who rushed on deck, was also killed, followed by passengers Indiana Rose and Nelson Bodden. The vessel’s hold became a scene of horror as McField forced Walter Rose, another crew member, to help scuttle the ship.

The attack was both erratic and precise. Some were shot; others were thrown overboard alive. The baby was taken from its mother's arms and hurled into the sea. Of the 12 people onboard, only one would survive.

Elsie Morgan: The Sole Survivor

Miss Elsie Morgan, 23 years old at the time and an organist and Sunday school secretary at the Wesleyan Methodist Church, emerged as the unlikely heroine of this tragedy. During the massacre, as the mate lay dying, he asked her to pray for him. Amid the bloodshed, she knelt and prayed—displaying grace and courage in circumstances few could imagine.

After being struck in the arm by a bullet and wounded again by McField with the rifle's butt as she tried to escape the boat, Elsie pretended to be dead and floated silently as McField, satisfied with his "work," believed no one remained to expose his crime. He left her adrift, assuming she had drowned.

Six Days Through the Bush

The ordeal was far from over. After swimming two miles through shark-infested waters, Elsie reached land, bloodied and exhausted, only to begin a six-day trek through swamp and bush with a wounded arm, torn clothes, and no shoes. She drank water from crab holes, survived on fruit left by crabs, and slept on palmetto leaves while mosquitoes, sun exposure, and exhaustion gnawed at her will.

Still, she pressed forward—driven by the knowledge that if she didn’t reach Eastern Harbor, the killer might never be found. She finally stumbled upon a coconut grove where she spotted Byron Cooper. At first, he thought she was a ghost. When she recognized her uncle, J.D. Cooper, a respected preacher, she said, “I am here, Uncle Jimmy, because I am a Christian,” before collapsing into tears—the first she had shed since the massacre.

Justice and Retribution

Unaware that anyone had survived, Robert McField returned to Utila and mingled freely among the grieving community. He even comforted relatives of the victims. His arrogance was short-lived. Within 24 hours of Elsie's return, authorities arrested him.

His confession, taken on July 8, 1905, was chilling in its detail. He admitted to killing every victim, describing each act with horrific clarity—including tossing the baby into the sea and expressing no remorse. His motive, according to his own words, was money—but the total he stole was minimal. Friends, neighbors, even close companions were murdered in cold blood.

McField was tried and executed shortly after. He was hanged from a mango tree on the Middle Path in Utila. Justice, swift and severe, brought some closure to the community—but the scars remained.

Legacy and Legend

The story of the Olympia was immortalized in William Jackson’s historical novel And the Sea Shall Hide Them, which blends oral history with creative narration based on survivor accounts. The title itself speaks to the eerie irony of the event: the sea, often a provider and protector, became the grave for eleven souls.

Elsie Morgan became a symbol of bravery, faith, and resilience. Her story is remembered in local churches, told by elders, and passed on as both caution and tribute. The very path she took through the jungle is still referenced as a trail of courage. Her survival is one of the most astonishing episodes in Bay Islands history.

Today, while little remains of the Olympia, the memory of that night continues to haunt Utila’s collective consciousness. The tragedy is not just a tale of murder—it’s a story of survival, faith, and the extraordinary strength of a young woman who carried the weight of truth back to her people.