Living in the Deep: What They Don’t Tell You About Submarine Service

A sailor from a 616-class submarine shared a grim yet unforgettable story about emptying the sanitary tanks at sea. Usually, the procedure involves pressuring the tank and releasing the contents overboard—a routine part of underwater life. But one day, a system malfunction turned routine into disaster.

A misstep in timing or valve alignment caused raw sewage to backfire, soaking an unfortunate crew member in human waste. The incident was as disgusting as it was memorable, exposing not just human error but also the crude waste disposal methods used at the time—ones with little regard for the environment.