Crab walking up a wall sounds like something out of a cartoon or an action movie. But recently, this bizarre climbing technique was used by real-life prison inmates to escape from jail.
What is Crab Walking?
Crab walking refers to a form of movement where a person faces upwards and uses their hands and feet to propel themselves forwards and upwards. It resembles the movement of a crab hence the name. The hands are placed below the feet and both are pressed against the surface being climbed. Then the feet push upwards while the hands grip and pull the body along. This pattern is repeated to steadily move up a vertical surface.
Crab walking up a wall makes use of friction and pressure between the limbs and the wall to support body weight. The technique allows a climber to scale up smooth, sheer surfaces like prison walls that don’t have many footholds. While it originated as a physical training exercise, this unique climbing style has now gained notoriety for its use in dramatic prison escapes.
How Prison Inmates Used Crab Walking to Escape
Recently, two inmates successfully escaped from Chester County Prison in Pennsylvania through crab walking up exterior prison walls.
The first was Igor Bolte who broke out of Chester County Prison in May 2022 Surveillance footage revealed Bolte crab walking up a wall to escape over prison roofing.
The second was convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante who escaped the same facility in August 2022. Video showed Cavalcante quickly scaling two walls using the same crab walk technique as Bolte.
After Bolte’s escape, the prison installed razor wire fencing to prevent further breakouts. But Cavalcante demonstrated that crab walking could defeat even these new security measures. Flexible razor wire doesn’t impede the climbing motion of a crab walk.
Authorities were shocked that the additional fencing did not deter copycat escapes. This exposed a security lapse, as prison staff had only focused on physical barriers rather than monitoring procedures. An investigation found that a tower officer had failed to notice Cavalcante’s exit.
Why Crab Walking Works for Prison Escapes
What makes crab walking so effective for jail breaks?
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Uses strength efficiently: Crab walking utilizes the strength of all four limbs, distributing body weight. This makes scaling high walls possible.
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Doesn’t require footholds: The technique relies on friction so minimal hand or foot cracks are needed. It allows climbing up blank, flat surfaces.
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Fast yet stable: Crab walking provides stability while moving swiftly, before guards can react.
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Harder to spot: A crab walking escapee remains flat against the wall, hidden from view.
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Can defeat barriers: As seen in the Chester County Prison breakouts, crab walking can overcome security measures like razor wire fencing.
Dangers of the Crab Walk Escape Method
While crab walking offers inmates unique advantages for escaping confinement, it also carries significant risks:
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Exertion and high risk of falls can lead to serious injury or death.
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Razor wire lacerations often occur during crab walks over fenced walls. This can cause severe cuts.
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Full-body friction against rough surfaces causes extensive abrasions.
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Crab walking requires high physical fitness and skill, making it impossible for many prisoners.
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Failure halfway up a wall can trap escapees within reach of guards.
Despite the dangers, the crab walk remains an intriguing escape option for determined prisoners willing to accept the risks.
Crab Walking Use in Other Settings
Beyond dramatic prison breaks, crab walking serves purposes in military training, martial arts, parkour, and fitness:
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Military training: Forces like the US Marines teach crab walking to develop strength and coordination helpful in obstacle course drills.
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Some martial arts: Crab walking is used in martial arts like Brazilian jiu-jitsu to advance while grappling an opponent.
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Parkour: Traceurs practice crab walking up walls and surfaces to expand their urban movement capabilities.
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Fitness: Crab walks are an intense exercise for building full-body and core strength. Gyms often include them in calisthenics routines.
The benefits explained above make crab walking useful for training, even if it’s not commonly used for escape techniques outside of prisons.
Recent high-profile prison breaks have brought attention to an obscure but effective climbing technique called crab walking. The unique style of scaling vertical surfaces relies on friction and distributed weight support. Though physically demanding and risky, crab walking allows inmates to escape over walls and barriers. However, as demonstrated by repeat escapes at Chester County Prison, jails must now re-examine security to defend against this exploit. Beyond corrections facilities, crab walking also serves as an intense strength and coordination exercise adopted for military, martial arts, parkour, and fitness training regimens. While the origins of crab walk escapes may be unorthodox, improving safeguards against it presents an important challenge for prison authorities.
Convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante “crab walked” out of prison, new surveillance video shows. It’s a lot harder than it looks.
The huge search for murderer Danelo Cavalcante entered its eighth day as angry Pennsylvania police released surveillance video showing the prisoner climbing a wall sideways during his daring escape.
Cavalcante can be seen “crab walking” up two walls that are not facing each other, with his feet on one wall and his hands on the other. He then shimmies out of sight.
“I don’t think it’s unheard of to hold yourself up like that,” strength-conditioning expert Patrick Raquet told Inside Editions’ Steve Fabian. “But the fact that he held himself up and then crawled up the wall—you need to be very strong” to do that.
“I dont think the average person could do that,” Raquet said.
Inside Editions correspondent tried to do the crab walk, but he didnt move very far.
“I made it like six inches,” Fabian said.
Cavalcante, a 34-year-old Brazilian man who killed his ex-girlfriend with a knife, got away from Chester County Prison last Thursday.
Authorities say their search for the suspect has been slowed down by the extreme heat and thick vegetation that makes it easy to hide and avoid being seen.
But, officials also noted that defects in prison security played a role.
“There was a vulnerability at the county prison. It was known by the inmates and he exploited that vulnerability very effectively, said Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bevins, after the daring escape.
There is a $20,000 reward for information leading to the prisoners arrest.
Pennsylvania inmate seen crab walking up a wall to escape prison
FAQ
Who is the convicted killer crab?
Where is the escaped prisoner in PA now?
How did Brazilians escape from jail?
How did a crab walk up a wall?
Video shows how he “crab walked up a wall, through razor wire”, Mr Holland said on Wednesday, placing his hands on one wall and his feet on another wall to push his way upwards. After reaching the roof, both inmates were able to climb down a ladder to a less secure part of the prison.
How did the inmate ‘crab-walk’ up a prison wall?
From there, he pushed through razor wire, ran across the roof, and scaled a fence lined with razor wire, Holland said. Watch the video of the inmate ‘crab-walking’ up the prison wall to escape. It’s the second escape from the facility in recent months.
Did a convicted murderer ‘crab-walk’ up a wall?
The convicted murderer still on the loose after escaping a Pennsylvania prison last week broke free by ‘crab-walking’ up a wall, pushing through razor wire and running across a roof, officials said Wednesday.
Did Igor Bolte ‘crab-walk’ up the prison wall to escape?
Watch the video of the inmate ‘crab-walking’ up the prison wall to escape. It’s the second escape from the facility in recent months. In May, inmate Igor Bolte broke out from the same location in a similar way, but was seen by the tower officer on watch and quickly recaptured.