In 1980 in sleepy Lake Peigneur, Louisiana, something odd happened. If you had been standing on the shore of the lake, you would have seen the oil rig that quietly dug up oil from the bottom of the shallow lake tilt and then suddenly vanish under the water.
Keep in mind that the lake was only a little deeper than three meters or eleven feet, and the oil rig was considerably taller, yet it vanished completely. Then a whirlpool showed up and became terrifyingly huge in no time at all. Barges, boats, trees, a large part of the island on the lake all vanished into the whirlpool.
This was followed by a massive geyser that was so large the local canal leading to the Gulf of Mexico reversed direction and pushed barges back out to sea.
So what happened? The oil rig had accidentally busted through into the local salt mine, a massive operation that also existed under the lake. This mine was no small operation, it was huge, and salt famously dissolves very well into water. All the supports in the mine were in fact salt which disappeared in no time, triggering a gigantic cave in.
What is perhaps the most amazing thing about the Lake Peigneur disaster is that no one was hurt. No one died. Testimony to how important safety regulations are and how you really have to follow them.
There are many videos on the Lake Peigneur incident, I'll add one below for more information.
That's that and all that. Join me again next time and until then, have a great week!
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