DESTIN, Fla. — The SS United States, the ocean liner that set a transatlantic speed record in 1952, is expected to be sunk off Florida’s Gulf Coast during the second week of November, the Associated Press reported.
Okaloosa County officials said the nearly 1,000-foot ship will be scuttled about 22 nautical miles southwest of Destin, though weather could change the timing. Officials called it “a one-of-a-kind resource for the environment and for our tourism industry.”
Preservation groups tried to save the vessel but could not overcome the high costs.
Supporters expect the ship to become a top diving destination among the county’s more than 500 artificial reefs, bringing in millions of dollars a year for dive shops, fishing charters and hotels.
Sources: Associated Press via KTAR News. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Kochman English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
