Decades of nuclear activity readings off the coast of Tybee Island, Georgia, have sparked panic among residents and the US government. However, there is a logical explanation for these perplexing findings: a missing nuclear weapon.
On February 5, 1958, a thermonuclear bomb was accidentally dropped into the ocean during a training exercise when an F-86 fighter plane collided with a B-47 bomber.
President Vladimir Putin’s ominous threats of nuclear warfare against foreign powers have turned the story of the lost nuclear weapon into a cautionary tale for the US government.
After the mid-air collision, approximately 100 Navy Seal divers utilized sonar devices to search for the bomb, while Air Force specialists deployed blimps and ships to thoroughly scan the Wassaw Sound, a bay located near Savannah. It took two months for the military to determine that the bomb was “irretrievably lost.”
According to the 1958 report by the Atlanta Constitution, the Air Force asserted that the weapon was not fully assembled and that there was no risk of explosion or radioactivity. The separation of plutonium from the bomb casing and the explosives that triggered the implosion ensured that the bomb posed no threat of detonation, as explained by Stephen Schwartz, author of “Atomic Audit: The Costs and Consequences of US Nuclear Weapons Since 1940.” However, subsequent documents introduced conflicting information regarding the insertion of plutonium into the bomb.
According to a report from 2001, it was stated that the Air Force pilots involved in the Tybee incident commonly carried bombs during practice missions. These missions were conducted as a precautionary measure in case they were required to launch an attack on the Soviet Union.
Fortunately, there were no casualties in the collision, and the crew members did not witness any explosion following the drop of the bomb.
In 2000, Derek Duke, a retired Air Force officer, reached out to Rep. Jack Kingston of Georgia. He encouraged the Air Force to initiate a new search for the bomb.
“The whole Air Force perspective is, it’s just not worth it,” Schwartz said. “Trying to move it could create bigger problems than if we just leave it where it is.”
According to a report from 2001, the chances of finding the bomb were slim and the chances of it exploding were low. However, the report also highlighted the environmental risk of heavy metal contamination as the bomb corroded. Unfortunately, there have been other military mishaps that have caused significant damage.
According to Schwartz, the Tybee collision serves as a poignant reminder of the close calls we have had with nuclear disasters.