Fearless scuba divers explore abandoned nuclear missile silo in VR

Also this week, fly on the wing of a skywriting plane and drop into an underground cave that’s home to a pipe organ spanning 3.5 acres - the world’s largest musical instrument: • VRtually There | Seaso...
Pull on your dry suit for a dive into an incredible flooded time machine outside Seattle, Washington. This Cold War era nuclear missile silo is now a scuba diving haven.
The subterranean chambers of this Cold War relic look like they’re straight out of a science fiction novel. Incredible underwater visibility reveals graffiti-covered concrete walls, rusting beams, and exposed wiring.
Formerly a top secret site, this abandoned nuclear missile complex is now a perfect setting for an ominous underwater adventure. Travel back in time with a group of brave scuba divers who plunge into the silo.
This Titan I missile complex is surrounded by farmland in central Washington. It was built in the 1960’s to house nuclear warheads hundreds of times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb. When the site was decommissioned, the water pumps that diverted groundwater were also deactivated, flooding the facility.
The adventure begins with a descent down an old emergency escape hatch. An extensive system of tunnels connects three 160-foot launcher silos, two antenna silos, equipment terminals, a power house, and a control center. Even after 50 years, the blast doors and “Danger: High Voltage” signs are still intact. They serve as a reminder of the looming danger workers faced each day when the silo was operational.
Advanced diving certification is a requirement for navigating this fortress. Submerge into the 50 degree water with a group of intrepid explorers in the video above.
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[@betterdeal11]

I was badge # 7 in the construction team that built the Titan base in 1959-61 when I left the badge numbers wer about 4000. The silo was closer to 200 feet deep not the 100 that was on the video. This brought back memories of special trucks bring in tunnel sections some weighed 170,000 lbs. The control center and equipment center was half domes with springs holding up the concrete floors. Each spring weighed 150 pounds and was manhandled in place about every 4 feet.Thanks for the memories

[@pbodymathis]

We had an Atlas missile site 2 miles from our house in the 60's. After it was decommissioned, local HS kids tore into it and explored it from top to bottom. I myself spent the night in it and kew every nook and cranny of it. There is also another silo used by local divers who usually spend New Years at 100 feet deep in the chilly clear water. From ground level the Atlas silo was 180 ft deep and the one we played in was gutted by a salvage company which only left the I beam structure, upper and bottom deck, and the spiral steps down to the bottom. There was about 12 foot of water in 1969 when I measured it on our camp in. No telling how much water is in it now. By the looks of this silo, it was not salvaged and would be very challenging to dive.

[@abcde_fz]

Shouldn't one of those guys be paying out a line behind them, so they CAN'T get lost? I'd be too creeped out without a line... BUT... Cool!!! OK, so maybe I'm late to the game, but this is a cool video for the first VR one I've ever seen that WORKED over the 'net and with the computer setup I have. All I do is browse, browse, browse, and I don't go LOOKING for this stuff, so I didn't even know it was a 'thing'!!! Last time I saw any VR stuff they hadn't worked out all the bugs yet, and it wasn't much fun on the computer I had at the time, so it's cool to get one that works, and underwater too! Good job!!!

[@davidhuett3579]

My first thoughts. I'd imagine it's pretty silted up.

[@0r3]

this is cool to watch

[@bigmamisvea3318]

That's so cool, it's my first time watching in 4K! I wonder why this has less than 100k views?

[@constitution_8939]

This is Amazing ... I didn't know of this site, first I've heard of it. The fact that it is flooded with water is Extra spooky. I just wish the episode was longer here.

[@Malakie]

That site looks really well preserved.. Perfect for recovery and reconstruction if someone had the money. The water has keep the place clean, much more clean than the project I was involved in that was completely rebuilt.

[@jaguarfacedman1365]

Ground water like that has effectively no oxygen in it, so no rust.

[@williamsaltiel-gracianmph613]

Actually, this site is nowhere near Seattle, but rather on the eastern side of the state, between Moses Lake and Spokane. There are five others like this one situated throughout that part of eastern Washington.

[@ill1066]

USAF "C" site 568th SMS SAC , back in the 60's we called it "sea site" because of the water that was always leaking in. I was an engine specialist on the Titan systems both the Titan one and also the Titan two. Put many hours in on this and other sites.

[@geronimo5537]

how does it look to you now seeing it the way it is compared to then?

[@ill1066]

@@geronimo5537 Just one more memory that will slowly fade away. :)

[@silopedia]

Were sump pumps running 24/7?

[@FRITZI999]

thanks for sharing.... what a creepy trip !!! Pretty brave to go down there. Looks like a abandoned Space Ship ..... thrilling !!!

[@americancitizen748]

Looks dangerous.

[@JohnS916]

I live about a mile from another Titan missile complex in Lincoln, California, just outside the capital city of Sacramento. A few years ago I approached the city council about an idea to explore the possibilities of the complex being a future public attraction. Several of the members were enthusiastic about the prospect but put it back on me to conduct further research. I don't have the time to undertake such a big project, but I still think it would be a popular attraction due to its location being close to the San Francisco bay area.

[@pbodymathis]

There are silos used as doomsday condos where they build condos the entire length of the silo. They are quit expensive to buy. The people who bought the property where the Atlas sight once stood, built a house near the structure and tied it to their house for a tornado shelter possibly.

[@jagc1969]

Awesome ! Great video.

[@bkdsog]

There are 2 other sites just like this one. The others are water free. One is now a museum. Been to em. I grew up not far from all 3. Great adventuring....

[@katiejo9585]

I'm near two sites in Wa. I'd love to see a museum!

[@scubaengineering]

A fantastic dive!

[@maxlongo306]

It must be a great Dive for sure... Cool video.

[@deathahoy8971]

Everyone: this is cool! Me: THIS IS TERRIFYING WHY WOULD YOU DO THI?!?!

[@-NOCAP-]

Okay this was hella cool. I should have read the title further I didn't realize it was virtual reality after I clicked it.

[@dailylifetaste4091]

Cool video. Thanks dear friend

[@ISOSAILING]

that was cool!!

[@louisronan5903]

I can actually look around myself, wtf is this wizardry haha. Feel like an old man trying to open up the internet browser.

[@meadmaker4525]

I know some of the missile sites have water issues, typically the Titan 2 sites that were partially destroyed, but these Titan 1 sites were left entirely intact, so it makes me wonder where all the water came from. Did somebody leave the massive silo doors open and this is just 50 years of rain? Almost seems like too much even for that. There's another one for sale there in Washington that's completely dry, so something had to have happened with this one.

[@SaintSaint]

Good question. Google the water table. Dig deep anywhere and you'll find water.

[@SaintSaint]

Ugh... *almost* anywhere(because there's some pedantic spithead with a keyboard eager to correct people on small things, but not big ones)

[@eddiecox9370]

Would love to dive it

[@bkdsog]

I know exactly where this is....

[@believe5922]

Eastern Washington when i lived there, was dry place strange all the water. Could understand if west.

[@Culturachapina]

Hoy disfrutando lo que eo aquí

[@OneLeggedDiver]

who the hell disliked this video? Great video, I'm headed out there next month!

[@deadcarnahans1932]

When the captions were placed out of view they really screwed up. When they failed to fix it they screwed up again. I did not like.

[@ahmedraza7749]

The Video is good but what about the Music is anyone can tell the name.

[@PARABOLA1966]

Excellent music choice...

[@mateuszrudzki4091]

hello, what kind of 360camera did you use underwater :) ?

[@authorised_creature]

It is most likely the same camera used for Google Maps, probably a smaller version of it. It's a rounded hexagon ball full of cameras on every angle like the one shown below: www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/20130814__ssjm0815googbeach1.jpg?w=600

[@JIMJAMSC]

Its a missile silo full of water.

[@ms.applebuns7408]

cool

[@ToBeSchooled]

watch out. some parts of that missle silo dont have oxygen in it. You might suffocate.

[@kilo-1337]

they literally wearing scuba gear

[@deadcarnahans1932]

Why are the captions off the screen where they can't be read?

[@jacobpoucher]

you're not very smart i'd bet

[@deadcarnahans1932]

@@jacobpoucher Smarter than any gambler.

[@jacobpoucher]

Lol yup dumb as s rock

[@biguprochester]

360 is a cool idea but impractical for a lazy viewer like myself. I just wanna watch you know?

[@ms.applebuns7408]

coool

[@soapistasty4071]

Coolness

[@nicolek4076]

This 3D. There is nothing computer generated in this, so it's not Virtual Reality. The clue is in the word "Virtual".

[@kilo-1337]

it can be viewed in vr genius

[@fennomenal5949]

Bioshock vibes, anyone?

[@DreadForce83]

@ Fennomenal Nope, but The Abyss (1989 movie), definitely vibed heavily when watching. This reminds me so much of that scene, where the divers are in the missile silo of sunken USS Montana, looking for survivors. The only thing missing here (another scene from The Abyss), are dead sailors, tangled in debris just like in the movie. But still, this is an awesome video regardless.

[@fennomenal5949]

@@DreadForce83 ill check it out, ty

[@SeaJay_Oceans]

These Fallout 5 graphics are ultra realistic.

[@DreadForce83]

@@SeaJay_Oceans "It just works".

[@idontknowaname6436]

Might be a stupid question but would it be possible that there would be radioactive water?

[@kilo-1337]

the missiles are sealed, something would have to go very wrong for radiation to leak out. some sites have been tested and no contamination found.

[@thetreblerebel]

Fugg That!!

[@pinkvpn]

Water is the best shield against radiation if the water itself is not contaminated.

[@jeffdavis7959]

ft

[@joshuabello4481]

jeff davis aszccxd

[@joshuabello4481]

the

[@josephdragojevich7041]

foolish is the diver who feels no fear, fear keeps you alive, fear keeps you alert. lol its also foolish to dive in an environment such as this with only a single tank and no other redundancy, how long you think you could buddy breath with one tank huh?

[@MadCerCells]

K

[@mamiferuD]

you could sometimes see the surface of the water, it was not like 100% flooded. i would guess you could surface and breathe the air inside?... i too saw a single tank.

[@kilo-1337]

ain't going more than 100ft max

[@barryjensen3903]

Another 5-10 min of my life wasted

[@ms.applebuns7408]

cool

[@ms.applebuns7408]

cool