Few People Know There’s a Missing Nuclear Bomb Off the Coast of Georgia

Photo Credit: 1. Edwin Remsburg / VW / Getty Images 2. Galerie Bilderwelt / Getty Images 3. HUM Images / Universal Images Group / Getty Images
Photo Credit: 1. Edwin Remsburg / VW / Getty Images 2. Galerie Bilderwelt / Getty Images 3. HUM Images / Universal Images Group / Getty Images

Off the coast of Tybee Island, near Savannah, Georgia, a Mark 15 nuclear bomb lies on the ocean floor after being accidentally dropped by the US Air Force in the 1950s. It remains submerged in Wassaw Sound, awaiting recovery or potential detonation.

This ongoing uncertainty is alarming. Early reports claimed the bomb’s nuclear core had been removed, but documents suggest it might still be present. Consequently, the Mark 15 continues to pose a potential threat to nearby communities.

Mid-air collision over Tybee Island

Diagram featuring a Mark 15 nuclear bomb
Mark 15 nuclear bomb. (Photo Credit: AEC / DoD / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)

On February 5, 1958, while performing a simulated combat mission exercise, a Boeing B-47 Stratojet was involved in a mid-air collision with a North American F-86 Sabre. The B-47, having taken off from Homestead Air Force Base, Florida, was carrying a two-man crew, as well as a 7,600-pound Mark 15 nuclear bomb.

The F-86’s pilot, Lt. Clarence Stewart, hadn’t seen the B-47 on his radar and descended directly on top of it. The crash between the two caused the left wing of the fighter jet to completely rip off, while the bomber’s fuel tanks suffered heavy damage. Stewart was able to eject before his aircraft crashed, while the pilot of the B-47, Lt. Col. Howard Richardson, sought the closest landing base. Despite the damages to the bomber, the B-47 remained airborne. After dropping 18,000 feet, Richardson regained control.

As for the nuclear bomb onboard the aircraft, he granted the crew’s request to jettison it, to prevent it from exploding during the emergency landing. The bomb was dropped from 7,200 feet, over the shores of Tybee Island. The pilot and crew reported no explosion upon it meeting the water, and they were able to successfully land the damaged B-47 at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia.

For his actions, Richardson was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

A search force was sent to find the bomb

Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class Arick Hiles handing a compact sonar unit to Damage Controlman First Class Ralph Leete
Photo Credit: Chief Photographer’s Mate Eric J. Tilford / U.S. Navy / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

The day after the collision, a search operation was launched to locate the missing bomb. Leading the effort was the US Air Force’s 2700th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Squadron, supported by 100 US Navy personnel. Their search focused on the waters around Tybee Island, particularly Wassaw Sound. The team used handheld sonar devices and conducted extensive cable sweeps, with the search continuing for nearly 10 weeks.

Unfortunately, on April 16, the military announced it had been unable to locate the explosive.

In 2001, the Department of Energy carried out a hydrographic survey of Wassaw Sound, providing new clues about the possible location of the Mark 15. The survey suggested that the bomb might be buried under five to 15 feet of silt, offering the military a more targeted area for future search efforts.

Was the Mark 15 nuclear?

Paper featuring an image of a Mark 15 Mod 2 nuclear bomb
Mark 15 Mod 2 nuclear bomb. (Photo Credit: AEC / DoD / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)

Ever since its disappearance, experts have argued over whether the weapon was nuclear or not. If it had a plutonium core, then it was a fully-functional nuclear weapon. If not, then the core was replaced with a dummy, making it non-nuclear, but still capable of producing a conventional explosion.

The Air Force assured the public that the Mark 15’s “nuclear capsule” was removed prior to the flight and fitted with a simulated 150-pound cap made of lead. Strategic Air Command documents reinforced this sentiment, explaining that test flights in February 1958 weren’t authorized to fly with nuclear capsules fitted into their bombs.

For a long time, this explanation was accepted. However, in 1994, a previously-classified document featuring the transcript from the 1966 Congressional testimony of then-Assistant Secretary of Defense W.J. Howard became unclassified, which contradicted what the Air Force had assured the public for years.

Speaking to the US Congressional Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, Howard confessed the Mark 15 was a “complete, fully functional bomb with a nuclear capsule,” containing a plutonium trigger. If Howard’s testimony is correct, then the bomb may still cause significant damage to the surrounding area, if detonated. The explosion would include a fireball reaching over a mile and thermal radiation detection as far as 10 miles in all directions.

Yet another search is launched

Chunk of Monazite placed on a table
Monazite, the element increasing radiation levels in the water where searchers believed the Mark 15 bomb was located. (Photo Credit: DEA / A. RIZZI / De Agostini / Getty Images)

Armed with updated data, Air Force veteran Lt. Col. Derek Duke privately conducted a new search for the missing nuclear bomb in 2004. Alongside his team, they meticulously explored the Wassaw Sound area, using a Geiger counter to measure radiation levels in the water.

Their efforts revealed that radiation levels near the peak of Tybee Island were significantly elevated, about four times higher than normal, potentially indicating the presence of the Mark 15 if it was indeed nuclear. By pinpointing these areas of heightened radiation, they could narrow down and map a zone roughly the size of a football field.

However, later Air Force analysis of the site concluded that the increased radiation came from natural sources, particularly monazite deposits in the sand. Consequently, the exact location of the elusive Mark 15 remains unresolved.

Best to leave the nuclear bomb alone

Mark 15 nuclear bomb on a dolly
Mark 15 nuclear bomb. (Photo Credit: US Atomic Energy Commission / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)

The Air Force is content with leaving the bomb’s location a mystery, and officials have assured residents in the surrounding area that it poses no threat, so long as it’s left alone. An “intact explosive would pose a serious explosion hazard to personnel and the environment if disturbed by a recovery attempt,” they stated.

More from us: Mars Bluff Incident: The US Air Force Accidentally Dropped a Nuclear Bomb on South Carolina

New! Want to become a trivia master? Sign up for our War History Fact of the Day newsletter!

The next time you go diving near Tybee Island, keep an eye out for the 12-foot long, 7,600-pound Mark 15 nuclear bomb with the serial number 47782. If you spot it, leave the sleeping beast alone!

Samantha Franco

Samantha Franco is a Freelance Content Writer who received her Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of Guelph, and her Master of Arts degree in history from the University of Western Ontario. Her research focused on Victorian, medical, and epidemiological history with a focus on childhood diseases. Stepping away from her academic career, Samantha previously worked as a Heritage Researcher and now writes content for multiple sites covering an array of historical topics.

In her spare time, Samantha enjoys reading, knitting, and hanging out with her dog, Chowder!

linkedin.com/in/samantha-v-franco