A rescue operation is now underway desperately searching for the missing Submersible diving to Titanic’s wreckage in the Atlantic ocean. Here’s 5 things you should know right now!
The fascination with Titanic and it’s unfortunate sinking in 1912 continues more than a hundred years later, remaining a mystery. Scientists and researchers have been delving deeper into the sea with the wreckage’s discovery in 1985 in eastern Canada. Furthermore, recent times have seen a (first) digital scan of the ship and expeditions submerging deep into the Atlantic Ocean to experience the sunken ship with their own eyes, 12,500 ft deep.
Here are 5 things you need to know at this point about the submersible’s disappearance:
1. OceanGate & Its Sea Mission To Titanic’s Wreckage
The tour firm OceanGate operates a sea mission for people, offering visits to the wreck since 2021, to view the wreckage of the Titanic with their own eyes. The tickets cost $250,000 for an eight-day trip including dives to the wreck at the depth of 12,500 ft. To visit the wreck, passengers climb inside Titan, a five-passenger submersible, which then takes two hours to descend about 12,500 feet (3,800 m) to the Titanic, 900 nautical miles east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
2. The Mission Has Now Lost Contact
Their recent mission was submerged this past Sunday morning and lost contact with the vessel just an hour and a half after its dive to the historic site of Titanic’s wreckage. Moreover, it also lost contact with its mother ship “Polar Prince” a Canadian research icebreaker posted an hour and 45 minutes as informed by the US coast guard.
3. The Rescue Operation Underway
The US Coast guard officials have revealed at a news conference on Monday that they have now deployed 2 C – 130 aircrafts for an aerial search with sonar buoys that can listen in to a depth of 13,000 ft. Along with the Canadian Coast Guard providing a C- 130 and a P8 Poseidon aircraft that has underwater detection capabilities. Furthermore, the US Coast Guard is relying on the mothership, commercial and private boat operators already at sea in nearby waters for help in recovery, 435 miles south of St John’s, Newfoundland.
The commander of the Coast Guard, Rear Adm. John Mauger who is leading the search has said, authorities received a call from the expedition company OceanGate on Sunday afternoon after the crew lost contact and the submersible exceeded its return time. Subsequently, the Coast Guard had also immediately launched a surface and aerial search to recover the submersible and the passengers.
“We are deeply thankful for the extensive assistance we have received from several government agencies and deep sea companies in our efforts to re-establish contact,” the company released in a public statement.
4. The Notable Passengers
There was one pilot and four passengers on board with billionaires and business tycoons a part of the said mission making headlines. Hamish Harding, owner and chairman of the private plane firm, Action Aviation was one of the mission’s specialists, an avid explorer who has even flown to space (a onetime crew member who pays the fee to join the trip) Pakistani-British, businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Sulaiman Dawood are on the craft too. Shahzada Dawood is also vice-chairman of Pakistani conglomerate Engro Corporation. Other passengers include Paul Henry Nargeolet, a former French navy commander, deep diver and submersible pilot and Stockton Rush, the chief executive and founder of OceanGate Expeditions, organizing the mission to the wreck of Titanic.
5. The Gravity Of The Disappearance
The challenges the vessel faces are grave and increasing by the minute. The submersible carries emergency oxygen onboard for 96 hours, a 4-day supply which would have started being used Sunday morning. As of Tuesday afternoon, they now have 3 days’ worth of oxygen left. Added to that, another daunting challenge remains, the area being extremely remote presenting difficulties in the search operation. There are barely any vessels that can reach the depth the Titanic wreckage sits at, 3,800 meters (12,500ft) beneath the surface at the bottom of the Atlantic. It is about 370 miles (600km) off the coast of Newfoundland.
The shocking news sounds like its straight out of a horror sci-fi and we are praying the submersible and the passengers are recovered soon.
