The SS United States completed its final descent into Gulf waters Wednesday night on its journey to becoming an artificial reef.
The historic ocean liner slipped beneath the surface just before 10 p.m. after hours of preparations and a lengthy sinking process that drew spectators from across the country.
"She was designed to be unsinkable, and that fact has definitely given our crews some challenges today," said Nick Tomecek, a spokesperson for Okaloosa County.
Officials moved up the sinking date by one day because of weather conditions.
It's the end of an era for the iconic ship. After being retired for more than 50 years and several failed plans for restoration, officials in Okaloosa County bought the ship in 2024 in an effort to give it a new life.
The 990-foot-long vessel spent nearly three decades docked along Philadelphia's Delaware River waterfront before departing last year for Alabama, where crews prepared it for its next role as an artificial reef.
The $13.5 million project is designed to attract more divers and fishing enthusiasts to the area while creating a home for tuna, marlin and swordfish.
The SS United States crossed the Atlantic more than 800 times, carrying old Hollywood stars like Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor. Other passengers have included Presidents Harry Truman, Dwight Eisehhower and John F. Kennedy and Britain's former King Edward VIII. In 1968, a young Bill Clinton took it when he went to Oxford University, decades before he was elected president.
Action News reporter John Paul is in Florida ready to capture the final voyage of this storied ship.
The SS United States completed its final descent into Gulf waters Wednesday night on its journey to becoming an artificial reef.
The historic ocean liner slipped beneath the surface just before 10 p.m. after hours of preparations and a lengthy sinking process that drew spectators from across the country.
Thousands of people expected to watch the SS United States sink on Wednesday, but the historic ocean liner had other plans.
As of 9:30 p.m., the ship remained above water despite hours of efforts to send it to the bottom of the Gulf and begin its new life as an artificial reef.
"She was designed to be unsinkable, and that fact has definitely given our crews some challenges today," said Nick Tomecek, a spokesperson for Okaloosa County.
The vessel, which spent nearly three decades docked at Philadelphia's Pier 82, appeared determined to resist its final chapter despite years of preparation and the large openings cut into its hull for the deployment.
Okaloosa County is working to sink the ship about 22 miles off the coast of Destin, Florida, where it is expected to become the centerpiece of what officials say will be the world's largest artificial reef.
The event drew spectators from around the globe, with hundreds of boats gathering offshore to witness the historic moment.
But maritime enthusiasts say the ship's resilience comes as no surprise.
Its designer, William Francis Gibbs, incorporated safety improvements after studying earlier maritime disasters like the Titanic, creating a vessel famed for its strength and durability.
"William Francis Gibbs said you can't burn her, you can't catch her and you can't sink her," said Bill Magee of Delran, New Jersey. "And I guess we found that out today, didn't we?"
Magee traveled from South Jersey to witness the sinking of a ship he had admired for years while it sat along Philadelphia's waterfront.
As daylight faded, however, he realized he likely would not see the vessel disappear beneath the water.
"A little bit disappointed that she didn't go down today," he said.
For supporters of the SS United States Conservancy, the ship's refusal to sink carried special meaning.
The organization spent years fighting legal and preservation battles to keep the ocean liner afloat.
"It was a solid ship. It still is," said Warren Jones of the SS United States Conservancy. "It may be a fitting end in a way."
Officials said the vessel is continuing to descend slowly and is expected to reach the seafloor. Exactly when that will happen, however, remains uncertain.
Federal environmental and explosives rules prevent Okaloosa County, Florida, and its contractor from using explosives to scuttle the ship, said Nick Tomecek, the county's spokesperson. Concerns about inclement weather prompted officials to move up the sinking by a day.
The SS United States has pipes that pulled seawater into tanks as part of the system that cooled its boilers, he said, and those tanks have been removed so that once the valves are opened, water will flood the hull. Workers also have cut 10-foot by 10-foot (3-meter by 3-meter) holes in the decks, and more than 400 portholes have been removed.
The ship is to sink in about 180 feet (55 meters) of water, with its top deck about 60 feet (18 meters) below the surface — shallow enough that inexperienced divers can visit. It will settle on the floor of the waters about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southwest of Destin, between Panama City and Pensacola.
