On March 11, 1958, the lives of a family and a community changed forever early that afternoon. A rare occasion occurred over Mars Bluff, just outside Florence, South Carolina, when a nuclear weapon fell from the sky into the woods behind the Gregg family home.
According to The State, the highly destructive weapon was dropped due to human error when an indicator light in the cockpit had come on, approximately 1,500 feet above. One man on the plane went into the bomb bay, a small place on the plane, and accidentally grabbed an emergency release cable.
The U.S. Air Force B-47 did not have its nuclear core installed during training exercises.
The impacted family was picked up by a passing car on Highway 301 that had seen the explosion and taken to a nearby facility for treatment.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.