According to the operator, the oxygen in the submersible, which is almost seven meters long, lasts for 96 hours.
(Photo: ddp/abaca press)
On board a small submersible, “Titanic” fans wanted to dive to the famous wreck in the Atlantic. But the “Titan” and its five occupants have been missing since Sunday morning. The crew of the Canadian escort ship “Polar Prince” lost contact with the submarine about an hour and 45 minutes after the start of the dive.
“We are reviewing and mobilizing all options to bring the crew back safely,” the British BBC quoted a statement from Oceangate as saying. The company occasionally offers the expeditions to the Titanic wreck.
Since, according to the operator, the oxygen in the almost seven-meter-long “Titan” lasts for 96 hours, the search for the submersible takes place under great time pressure. On Monday afternoon, US Coast Guard Commander John Mauger said the ship would have “between 70 and 96 hours” of oxygen.
“We are using all available means to ensure that we can locate the ship and rescue the people on board,” Mauger said.
Missing submarine in the Atlantic: search under time pressure
According to Mauger, the first step is to find the submersible on the surface or in the depths of the ocean. Several aircraft and ships as well as buoys with sonar on board would be used for this, which can record sounds at a depth of up to almost 4000 meters. Only when the exact location of the boat is clear can a possible rescue be tackled.
In the large-scale search operation, the US Coast Guard is working with Canadian forces as well as private boats and merchant ships. The submersible is believed to be around 1,500 kilometers east of the US metropolis of Boston.
British billionaire Hamish Harding on board
In addition to the captain, three other missing occupants are known. They include Pakistani business consultant Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman. This was announced by her family. British businessman and adventurer Hamish Harding is also on board the missing submersible. This was confirmed by Harding’s company Action Aviation, according to the British news agency PA on Tuesday morning.
“There is still enough time to enable a rescue operation, in which case survival equipment is on board,” said manager Mark Butler. “We all hope and pray he comes back safe and sound.”
The British billionaire is among the five occupants of the “Titan”.
(Photo: Jannicke Mikkelsen via REUTERS)
Harding is known as an adventurer. The 58-year-old holds several Guinness World Records, including the longest dive in the Mariana Trench, the deepest place on earth, in March 2021. In June 2022, the Briton flew into space. His company Action Aviation announced on social media on Sunday that the billionaire was taking part in the “Titanic” expedition. According to the Guardian, the businessman has a degree in natural sciences and chemical engineering from the University of Cambridge. His fortune is estimated at around one billion pounds (1.17 billion euros).
With his American wife Linda, Harding has sons Rory and Giles, whom he took to the South Pole in 2020 when he was 12.
Oceangate submersible made ‘improvised impression’
According to Oceangate, the tours to the “Titanic” wreck last a total of eight days. The company is promoting the carbon fiber submersible rides as a chance to “step out of the ordinary and discover something truly extraordinary,” according to the BBC.
Search for missing submarine carrying Titanic tourists continues
The company occasionally brings private individuals for a lot of money to the wreck of the world-famous “Titanic”, which sank in 1912 and lies at a depth of 3800 meters. A trip from the home port of St. John’s on the Canadian island of Newfoundland costs $250,000 (229,000 euros) per person.
Reporter David Pogue from the US broadcaster CBS, who took part in the trip last year, told the BBC that the vehicle made an improvised impression on him. “You control this submarine with an Xbox game controller,” Pogue said. Part of the ballast consists of construction pipes. If the boat gets stuck or leaks, “there’s no backup, no escape pod,” Pogue said.
Former submarine officer Frank Owen told the BBC the biggest challenge for those trapped was staying calm and not using too much oxygen.
Submersible on the way to the Titanic: Several scenarios possible
Speaking to the BBC, University College London submarine expert Alistair Greig gave several possible scenarios for the incident. In the event of a power or communications failure, the submersible could be driven to the surface. The situation would be much worse if the hull had been damaged and there was a leak. “Then the prognosis is not good,” said Greig.
It would also be difficult if the submersible could no longer rise from the seabed under its own power. “Even though the submersible may still be intact, if it’s deeper than 200 meters, there are very few vessels that can go that far, let alone divers,” the expert said.
“Certainly, the vehicles designed for the Navy’s submarine rescue operations cannot penetrate anywhere near the depths of the ‘Titanic.’ And even if they could, I very much doubt they could attach to the tourist submersible’s hatch.”
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