Search underway for tourists missing on Titanic submarine
An expedition submersible, better known as the Titan, has gone missing in the Atlantic Ocean with five people on board.
The group had set out as part of their eight-day venture to explore the wreckage of the RMS Titanic, with the company behind the trip - OceanGate Expeditions - boasting it as a “chance to step outside of everyday life and discover something truly extraordinary”.
However, around one hour and 45 minutes after commencing the dive - approximately 600 km off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, and roughly 4 km below the ocean surface - the Canadian research vessel that they were working with, the Polar Prince, reportedly lost contact with them, and hasn’t been able to re-establish communication.
Coast Guards have confirmed that a search is underway, with Lt Samantha Corcoran explaining that they were “just trying to use all efforts and work with international partners to try to get any resources out there to safely locate all five individuals.”
The last photo of the vessel - a 6.4-metre, 23,000 pound submersible - was taken early on the morning of its disappearance, with fog and wet weather conditions apparent, as it was being taken out into the water on a barge between two dinghies.
Weather had not been ideal through the season, with British billionaire and “mission specialist” for the Titan team Hamish Harding noting that it had been “the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years” in a post to social media ahead of the trip.
“This mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023” he added. “A weather window has just opened up and we are going to attempt a dive tomorrow.”
Harding’s step son had taken to Facebook in the wake of the disappearances to write “thoughts and prayers for my stepfather Hamish Harding as his Submarine has gone missing exploring Titanic.
“Search and rescue mission is underway.”
And while he later removed the post, the search continued, with OceanGate Expeditions making a statement about their efforts, explaining that the company was “exploring and mobilising all options to bring the crew back safely.
“Our entire focus is on the crew members in the submersible and their families.
“We are deeply thankful for the extensive assistance we have received from several government agencies and deep sea companies in our efforts to reestablish contact with the submersible.
“We are working toward the safe return of the crew members.”
Those crew members consisted of Harding, French submersible pilot Paul-Henry Nargeolet, OceanGate Expeditions chief executive and founder Stockton Rush are also on board the sub, and two others.
And while there is “a comprehensive approach to try and locate this submersible” underway, according to First District Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger, “it is a large area of water [around the wreckage] and it’s complicated by local weather conditions as well”.
Mauger shared that they believed the vessel had not surfaced, an element that made their search endeavour a more complicated process, as the coast guards were thereby forced to use sonar to search below the surface.
Time is of the essence too, as the missing submersible was designed with just 96 hours of “emergency capability”, leaving rescuers with a limited window to local the crew and bring them back to safety.
As Mauger told the media, “we anticipate there is somewhere between 70 and the full 96 hours available at this point.”
Images: Instagram