The operation to sink the nearly 1,000-foot SS United States took five hours without explosives after crews pulled hull plugs to flood the ship. This addition places the world's two largest artificial reefs in the Florida Panhandle, pairing the liner with the nearby 888-foot USS Oriskany sunk in 2006. Tourism officials expect the dive site to bolster existing annual reef revenues of $10 million to $12 million. The county now plans to add another five or six artificial reefs to the coastal waters.
Key points
The Florida Panhandle now hosts both the first and second largest artificial reefs in the…: The Florida Panhandle now hosts both the first and second largest artificial reefs in the world.
Tourism director Jennifer Adams projects the county will recoup its multimillion-dollar i…: Tourism director Jennifer Adams projects the county will recoup its multimillion-dollar investment within a few years through dive tourism.
Okaloosa County plans to sink an additional five or six artificial reefs despite warnings…: Okaloosa County plans to sink an additional five or six artificial reefs despite warnings from economists about potential diminishing returns.
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The fastest passenger liner in the world crossed the Atlantic Ocean in less than four days. On Wednesday, it sank five hours.
The SS United States, launched in 1951 and longer than the RMS Titanic, once transported four presidents, the Mona Lisa and a slate of 20th century movie stars. After decades spent rusting, and facing the scrap heap, its minders settled on a deal to turn the vessel into what's expected to be the world's largest artificial reef off the coast of Okaloosa County, Fla.
Crews removed plugs in the ship's hull, allowing it to fill with water without the use of explosives. After hours of delays, its final moments went quickly. The ship tilted onto its side and dipped below the waves.
The sinking marks a bittersweet coda to the era of gleaming behemoths that crossed the seas in elegant fashion. It is also the latest in an ongoing effort by coastal communities to lure thrill-seeking tourists away from international destinations, one that has so far generated surprising economic benefits.
Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have located the remains of two missing Special Police Officers in Kishtwar. The personnel vanished while actively carrying out an assigned patrol in the region before they were discovered deceased. This incident highlights the operational dangers faced by local security forces conducting routine monitoring duties in the area.
Emergency crews in Flatbush are navigating unstable debris to locate residents and construction workers after a three-storey structure tumbled into an adjacent work zone. City agencies have established a local assistance hub, while investigators work to determine what triggered the fatal incident. Mayor Zohran Mamdani has urged the public to stay clear of the active disaster area.
Residents across multiple districts felt mild tremors early Thursday morning following seismic activity along the Sikkim-Nepal regional border. Authorities confirmed that no injuries or structural damage occurred despite vibrations reaching the state capital. The deep underground event spared nearby communities from destructive impacts.