Titanic Submersible Searches Running Out Of Time And Oxygen
A submersible carrying five individuals had gone missing during an expedition to explore the wreckage of the Titanic.
The submersible, named Titan, was part of an eight-day journey organized by OceanGate Expeditions.
Priced at $250,000 per person, the trip began in Newfoundland, with participants traveling to the site of the Titanic wreck in the North Atlantic Ocean.
On Sunday morning, June 18, the submersible began its descent to the wreck but lost contact with its support ship, the Polar Prince, approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes into the dive.
Search operations commenced immediately, but despite extensive scanning efforts, no trace of the vessel has been found.
The missing individuals include –
- British businessman Hamish Harding,
- French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet,
- Pakistani billionaire Shahzada Dawood,
- Pakistani billionaire’s son Sulaiman Dawood, and
- OceanGate CEO and founder Stockton Rush.
The submersible was equipped with 96 hours of oxygen, meaning time is running out for a potential rescue.
Multiple agencies from the United States, Canada, and France, including the US Coast Guard, US Navy, US Air Force, and Canadian Coast Guard, are involved in the search efforts.
Private and commercial groups, such as deep sea-mapping company Magellan and oil and gas company TechnipFMC, have also joined the search.
Rescue operations face numerous challenges due to the remote location, inclement weather conditions, and the extraordinary depth of the ocean where the submersible disappeared.
It is unclear what caused the submersible to lose contact and how close it was to the Titanic wreck.
This incident has raised concerns about the safety of deep-sea tourism, with previous mechanical problems and safety criticisms being directed at OceanGate. Efforts to locate and rescue the missing submersible continue, but time is of the essence as the search enters a critical phase.
Rescuers are in a desperate race against time to locate the Titanic submersible. The vessel, carrying five passengers, had a four-day oxygen supply when it set off.
As the final hours tick away, more ships have been dispatched to aid the search, focusing on underwater sounds detected in the area.
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However, numerous challenges lie ahead, including pinpointing the submersible’s location, reaching it with rescue equipment, and safely bringing it to the surface.
The urgency is heightened by the passengers’ dwindling oxygen supply, adding pressure to the international search mission.