A historic ship docked in Philadelphia that could soon become the world’s largest artificial reef was burglarized, police said.
On Thursday, around noon, police responded to a report of a burglary on the Pier 80 SSS United States Ship along the 2200 block of Christopher Columbus Boulevard.
Police said a burglar or burglars stole several batteries and tools, causing damage to the property. No arrests have been made and police have not released information on any suspects.
“Today representatives for the SS United States Conservancy reported an unauthorized entry of America’s Flagship to the Philadelphia Police Department. We thank the department for its attention to this important matter. At this time, we will not be providing any additional comment as the department continues its investigation," a spokesperson for the SS United States Conservancy said.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
If you have any information on the incident, please contact Philadelphia police at 215-686-3013 or submit an anonymous tip by calling or texting the Philadelphia police tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477).
The burglary comes only days after a Florida county inked a tentative deal to turn the historic ocean liner into the world’s largest artificial reef. The contract -- approved on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, by officials in Okaloosa County on Florida’s coastal Panhandle -- is contingent upon the resolution of court-imposed mediation, after a judge ordered the storied but aging ship to vacate its berth at Pier 80 in Philadelphia, following a yearslong dispute over rent and dockage fees.
The largest passenger ship ever built in the U.S., the SS United States shattered a record for the fastest transatlantic crossing by a passenger liner on its maiden voyage in 1952, The Associated Press reported from aboard the vessel.
But the ship has been in a race against time to find a new home, with conservationists scrambling to find an alternative to scrapping the massive ocean liner, which is more than 100 feet (30 meters) longer than the Titanic.
Under the contract, the ship would be intentionally sunk to create what supporters hope will be a barnacle-encrusted star in Okaloosa County’s constellation of more than 500 artificial reefs, making it a signature diving attraction that could generate millions of dollars a year in local tourism spending for scuba shops, charter fishing boats and hotels.
