Ex-Area 51 staff claim ‘invisible killer’ on site has left numerous workers dead but there’s a reason they can’t prove it

Warning: This article contains discussion of baby loss which some readers may find distressing

Ex-Area 51 staff members have put forward claims of an 'invisible killer' on site, which has reportedly left numerous workers dead - but there’s a reason they can’t prove it.

Now, as we know, Area 51 is shrouded in secrecy, given its top-secret status and all.

Operated by the US Air Force and located at Groom Lake in southern Nevada, the site has just one confirmed use as a flight testing facility, but it's totally off-limits to the public and media.

Area 51, the name of which comes from its designation on maps by the Atomic Energy Commission, has since become the focal point in a number of conspiracy theories, with many claiming to have witnessed UFOs near the area - such sightings which the CIA states are accounted for by military aircraft tests.

Now, according to security guards at the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) - AKA as the secretive Area 51 - they endured the presence of an 'invisible killer' on site.

Former Air Force Sergeant, David Crete, is lobbying for better support for fellow Area 51 veterans (NewsNation)

Earlier this year, former Air Force Sergeant David Crete, who worked at the Nevada Training and Testing Range (NTTR) between 1983 and 1987, came forward claiming that the left side of his brain was 'dying' due to atrophy while speaking at the House Veterans Affairs Committee.

Crete is now lobbying for better support for Area 51 veterans, many of whom have been denied healthcare in the US because none of the surviving ones are able to prove they were exposed to radiation near Area 51.

This is due to their work being so 'top secret' that there are no records of them ever being there in the first place.

He claims, as per the MailOnline, that as many as 490 of his former colleagues have died of severe illnesses, including cancer, since serving at the former nuclear site.

He notes that the radiation risks also appear to have been a massive risk to the workers' families.

According to David Crete, as many as 490 of his former colleagues have died of severe illnesses including cancer since serving at the former nuclear site (Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2024)

Crete, who has claimed that the only acknowledgement of his service came from the late US Senator John McCain, who told him that his unit ‘ended the cold war', added: "My wife had three miscarriages. One of the guys that I worked with, his wife had seven.

"All four of my children were born with birth defects or significant health problems. It’s not their fault. I’m not saying it’s mine, but I brought it home."

The likes of Air Force technician Mark Ely, who also worked at the base in the 1980s and is suffering from life-threatening conditions, has echoed similar sentiments - alleging that his health ailments were brought on due to the radiation he was exposed to.

"Upholding the national interest was more important than my own life. It scarred my lungs. I got cysts on my liver. I started having lipomas, tumours inside my body I had to remove. My lining in my bladder was shed," he said.

The Department of Veterans Affairs told Tyla in a statement: "The VA works hard to provide veterans with benefits connected to their service. They attempt to gather a veteran’s records, including medical and service, and medical evidence from the Veterans Health Administration and private providers as warranted.

"If the records don’t contain sufficient medical evidence to decide the claim, the VA will also request a medical examination at no cost to the claimant. They also look at statements from the veteran and/or buddy statements."

Tyla has reached out to the US Air Force for comment.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.

If you need support and advice following a pregnancy loss, you can contact the Tommy’s team at [email protected]. You can also call them for free on 0800 014 7800, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.