Helena Merriman

It was some of those friends who knocked on his door one night to ask if he wanted to help other people escape from East Germany. They were planning to dig a tunnel.

They came across a factory building that made cocktail stirrers. It seemed like it could work. But they needed a way to access the cellar. So they told the owner they were a jazz band looking for a place to practice.

They came across a factory building that made cocktail stirrers. It seemed like it could work. But they needed a way to access the cellar. So they told the owner they were a jazz band looking for a place to practice.

This is audio from Inside the Tunnel, recorded by NBC in 1962. Joachim and his friends had made a secret agreement with the network. NBC could film them digging in exchange for money, for tools and wood and supplies, and to pay workers to dig 24 hours a day.

This is audio from Inside the Tunnel, recorded by NBC in 1962. Joachim and his friends had made a secret agreement with the network. NBC could film them digging in exchange for money, for tools and wood and supplies, and to pay workers to dig 24 hours a day.

Did the government, U.S. government, know about this payment that they were working together?

Did the government, U.S. government, know about this payment that they were working together?

They dug for two months, more than 100 feet, longer than a basketball court, and had gone under the wall into East Berlin. But one day, they noticed a drip in the tunnel. Eventually, the leak got worse and was flooding the tunnel, and they realized they had to give up. Meanwhile, the East German government kept fortifying the Berlin Wall.

They dug for two months, more than 100 feet, longer than a basketball court, and had gone under the wall into East Berlin. But one day, they noticed a drip in the tunnel. Eventually, the leak got worse and was flooding the tunnel, and they realized they had to give up. Meanwhile, the East German government kept fortifying the Berlin Wall.

They built a second inner wall about 100 yards behind the outer wall. The land in between became known as the Death Strip. Getting over the wall became even harder.

They built a second inner wall about 100 yards behind the outer wall. The land in between became known as the Death Strip. Getting over the wall became even harder.

The other tunnel ended beneath a house on the east side of the border. They would have to dig up into it. But they didn't know the people who lived there. They decided to go ahead with the plan anyway. They sent word to the people hoping to escape East Berlin to come to the house on August 7th, almost one year since the Berlin Wall was built.

The other tunnel ended beneath a house on the east side of the border. They would have to dig up into it. But they didn't know the people who lived there. They decided to go ahead with the plan anyway. They sent word to the people hoping to escape East Berlin to come to the house on August 7th, almost one year since the Berlin Wall was built.

It was the woman who lived in the house. She'd seen Joachim and the other diggers sawing through the floor and started screaming at them to leave. She ran outside where the Stasi were already waiting. Someone working with the diggers was a Stasi informant. He'd tip them off.

It was the woman who lived in the house. She'd seen Joachim and the other diggers sawing through the floor and started screaming at them to leave. She ran outside where the Stasi were already waiting. Someone working with the diggers was a Stasi informant. He'd tip them off.

Joachim decided to keep going and broke through the floor. He and the other diggers pulled themselves up through the hole and found themselves in an empty living room.

Joachim decided to keep going and broke through the floor. He and the other diggers pulled themselves up through the hole and found themselves in an empty living room.

They escape. But many of the East Germans who'd come to the house were arrested by the Stasi waiting there. A month later, Joachim and the others decided to try again. We'll be right back. After their first failed escape attempt, Joachim Rudolph and his friends went back to check on the first tunnel they dug, the one that was flooding underneath the cocktail stirrer factory.

They escape. But many of the East Germans who'd come to the house were arrested by the Stasi waiting there. A month later, Joachim and the others decided to try again. We'll be right back. After their first failed escape attempt, Joachim Rudolph and his friends went back to check on the first tunnel they dug, the one that was flooding underneath the cocktail stirrer factory.

This time, they didn't tell as many people what they were doing. On September 14th, Joachim and two other diggers crawled to the East Berlin end of the tunnel and started to dig up into the basement of an apartment building. There was a new leak, and water was starting to flood the tunnel again. The NBC film crew was set up on a balcony overlooking the wall in West Berlin.