The historic ocean liner went below the surface after a controlled sinking in the Gulf of Mexico, AP reports.
Read the storyNovember 11, 2026, 9:49 p.m. Central time.
The SS United States has sunk off Florida’s Gulf Coast after crews carried out a controlled operation to turn the historic ocean liner into an artificial reef, the Associated Press reports.
The vessel went below the surface Wednesday evening after crews flooded its hull. NPR reported that it tilted onto its side as it disappeared beneath the waves. Earlier, much of the ship remained visible above the water at dusk.
The operation took place offshore near Destin-Fort Walton Beach. Crews used a controlled process without explosives, CBS News reported.
The 990-foot vessel set a transatlantic speed record on its maiden voyage in 1952 and left passenger service in 1969, according to AP. Its distinctive smokestacks were removed ahead of the reef deployment for a planned museum.
County officials hope the vessel will provide marine habitat and draw divers. Newstro previously reported on the preparations for the sinking.
This article was updated November 11 to reflect AP’s report that the ship has submerged. An earlier version described the sinking as still underway.
1952: The liner entered service and set a transatlantic speed record. 1969: It left service. November 11, 2026: Crews flooded the ship; AP later reported it had sunk.
The star marks the approximate offshore area southwest of Destin, not the ship’s precise position.
Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Associated Press: the ship is sunk · NPR: the liner submerges · CBS News: controlled operation · Newstro: earlier preparations
Hero and thumbnail: conceptual editorial illustration, not a photograph.
