Since Sunday, a submersible boat designed to carry tourists to the Titanic disaster has now reportedly been lost in the Atlantic Ocean with its crew on board, igniting a massive search and rescue operation.
About an hour and forty-five minutes into the dive, the ship lost contact with the submersible, according to the US coast guard.
The tour operator OceanGate stated that it was looking into every possibility to return the crew safely.
Governmental organizations and deep sea companies are assisting with the rescue effort.
According to his family, Hamish Harding, a 58-year-old British wealthy businessman and explorer, is one of the people on the missing submarine.
It is thought that OceanGate’s Titan submarine, a truck-sized sub that can seat five people and often dives with a four-day supply of oxygen, is the missing vessel.
A submarine showing tourists the Titanic wreck went missing in the Atlantic Ocean pic.twitter.com/9Znkq4JTN2
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) June 19, 2023
A pilot, three paying passengers, and a someone the corporation refers to as a “content expert” are typically aboard the submersible.
The voyage departs from St. John’s, Newfoundland, around 370 miles (600 km) away from the wreckage. According to reports, each complete dive to the wreck, including the descent and ascent, takes around eight hours.
Only the Titan’s ability to dive deep enough to reach the Titanic debris is listed among OceanGate’s three submersibles on its website.
According to the website, the ship weighs 10,432 kg (23,000 lbs), can reach depths of up to 4,000 m, and has 96 hours of life support available for a crew of five.
Expeditions to the Titanic, which is located 3,800m (12,500ft) below the waters around 435 miles (700 km) south of St. John’s, Newfoundland, cost $250,000 (£195,612) per seat, according to OceanGate.
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