May 31, 2009 4:36 pm US/Eastern
Vandenberg Wreckage Opened For Divers & Boaters
Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg Turn Into Artificial Reef Earlier In The Week
KEY WEST (CBS4) ―
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This was a close view of the Vandenberg moments before it went under water to become a new artificial reef off the coast of Key West.
CBS
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A new artificial reef opens in the Keys after officials sank the Vandenberg.
CBS
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An underwater view of the new reef.
CBS
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The new underwater reef is expected to bring in much needed tourist dollars.
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Experienced divers can navigate as far down as 150 feet to fully explore the reef.
CBS
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This was a close view of the Vandenberg moments before it went under water to become a new artificial reef off the coast of Key West.
CBS
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The Vandenburg moments before the ship sank to the ocean floor to create a new reef off the coast of Key West.
Jorge Estevez/CBS
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Smoke begins to rise from the Vandenburg as the ship begins the slow process of sinking.
Jorge Estevez/CBS
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Thick smokes repaces the area where large parts of the Vandenburg once sat.
Jorge Estevez/CBS
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Anticipation grows on ships surrounding the Gen. Hoyt Vandenberg as demolition experts prepare to send her to the bottom of the sea.
Jorge Estevez/CBS
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Spectators line the rail of a watch ship as demolition crews prepare to sink the Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg off Key West.
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Camera crews get ready to film the sinking of the Gen. Hoyt Vandenberg off Key West.
Jorge Estevez/CBS
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The Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg will be sunk to create an artificial reef.
Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau
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The vessel was originally the U.S. Naval Ship Harry Taylor which transported U.S. troops fighting in World War II, but was re-commissioned as the Vandenberg in 1963.
Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau
The newest artificial reef off the coast of Key West is open for business, so to speak. The Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, a retired Air Force ship that was sunk this week, was opened for divers and anglers on Saturday.
Before the ship was opened, a dive team had to secure the ship's radar tracking dishes that came loose during the sinking of the ship. In addition, 6 mooring buoys were setup to provide boaters an easy way to access the wreckage.
Earlier this week, the Vandenberg took exactly one minute and forty five seconds to sink courtesy of 44 charges that detonated throughout the ship. Spectators, many of whom worked on the Vandenberg in its prime, could hear the explosions go off several at a time with just a red flare to alert nearby ships.
One man who watched the sink worked on the ship as a rocket scientist in the 70s, when the ship also tracked the space shuttle from Florida. "I got a lot of my life in this program and it was a good life," said Malcolm Monroe, a contractor on the ship in the 70's.
The U.S.N.S. Vandenberg brought families to America from Germany after the Cold War. "It's the connection to this country. It was what made it happen. It was amazing just to be among the crowd," said Elizabeth Maves, who came to America from Germany when she was two years old.
People worked on the project and dedicated their lives to organizing this sink for 13 years. "She belongs in the sea; that is where she is," said Sherry Lohr of Artificial Reefs of the Keys. At a price of $8 million, you can't help but sit back and marvel.
As an artificial reef, the ship is expected to bring in $10 to $12 million in revenue, mostly from eager divers who can't wait to get to the bottom of this story.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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