SS United States liner to be sunk off Florida as a dive reef

The famous ocean liner SS United States is to be sunk off the coast of Florida. According to the BBC, the ship, which was moored in Philadelphia for almost thirty years, is now sailing to Florida from Alabama, where it was moved last year to be cleaned.

The vessel was bought by one of Florida's local counties. Once sunk, the liner is meant to become a home for marine life and a new attraction for divers. It will be sent to the seabed without the use of explosives, and a museum about the ship's history will be built on land.

The liner that carried stars and presidents

From 1952 to 1969, the SS United States carried passengers across the Atlantic. Celebrities and members of royal families traveled on board, including four U.S. presidents: Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy and Bill Clinton. Passengers also included Marlon Brando, Coco Chanel, Salvador Dalí, Walt Disney, Judy Garland and Cary Grant.

Why the ship was not saved

Proposals to preserve the liner as a museum or hotel were discussed in the past, but they never materialized. The effort to save the vessel was led by a group of activists headed by Susan Gibbs, whose grandfather designed the ship.

Gibbs said she is glad the ship's story will live on even after it is sunk. She called it an unmistakably American symbol that brings many people together.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz