A search and rescue operation is underway in the Atlantic ocean after a tourist submersible meant to explore the Titanic wreckage went missing over a day earlier off the Canadian coast.
Details so far
The submersible is operated by a private company OpenGate Expeditions which said it was “mobilizing all options” to rescue the crew and bring them back safely. As per the US Coast Guard, the submarine’s support vessel on the surface, a boat named Polar Prince, lost contact with it about one hour 45 minutes after the submarine dove into the ocean on Sunday.
OpenGate has said that it was “deeply thankful for the extensive assistance” it received from several government agencies and deep sea firms in its efforts to contact the missing vessel.
Ships and planes from the US and Canada have been brought in to search for the submarine. Sonar buoys, capable of monitoring a depth of 13,000 feet, have also been used, U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger told reporters on Monday.
Who all are onboard the Titanic submersible?
The missing submarine has five people onboard, including a pilot. British billionaire Hamish Harding is among the passengers. His stepson reportedly confirmed on Facebook earlier that Harding had “gone missing on the submarine” and asked for “thoughts and prayers”. However, he eventually took the post down citing respect for the family’s privacy.
Before his tour commenced, Harding in a Facebook post said he was proud to join the expedition as a mission specialist. He added that the team on the submarine had legendary explorers, some of which have completed more than 30 dives to the RMS Titanic since the 1980s.
About the ‘Titan’ submersible
The 22-feet long submarine, ‘Titan’, had a 96-hour oxygen supply on Sunday morning. With a weight of 9,072 kilograms, it has a capacity of diving 13,120 feet “with a comfortable safety margin”, OceanGate had said in a court filing. It is made of titanium and filament wound carbon fiber and is capable of withstanding “enormous pressures of the deep ocean”, the firm had claimed.
About the OceanGate expedition
The expedition was OceanGate’s third annual voyage to the wreck site. The expeditions cost $250,000 per person and start in St. John’s, Newfoundland, as per the firm’s website. The submarine takes two hours to go approximately 12,500 feet to the Titanic.
Last year, CBS journalist David Pogue went on the expedition. He said his submarine got turned around while they were looking for Titanic. “There’s no GPS underwater, so the surface ship is supposed to guide the sub to the shipwreck by sending text messages,” Pogue said in a segment shown on CBS Sunday Morning. “But on this dive, communications somehow broke down. The sub never found the wreck,” he added.
Titanic sank in 1912 on its maiden voyage after it hit an iceberg, killing more than 1,500 people. Its wreckage was discovered in 1985.
(With Agency Inputs)