Titanic tourist submersible goes missing with search under way

Likely Signs Of Life On Missing Titanic Sub With 5 Aboard: 10 Point Guide

A submersible with five people aboard has gone missing while on a tour of the wreckage of the Titanic off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, according to officials. The Coast Guard said the 21-foot submersible went underwater Sunday morning, and lost contact about 1 hour and 45 minutes later. Here are 10 points to know about the incident:

1. The submersible, called Titan, belongs to OceanGate Expeditions, a private company that operates manned submersibles for deep sea expeditions. The company charges $250,000 per person for a six-day Titanic expedition that includes three dives to the shipwreck.

2. The five people on board the submersible are: Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate; Hamish Harding, a British billionaire, pilot and space tourist; Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a French diver and Titanic expert; Shahzada Dawood, a Pakistani businessman, and his son Suleman Dawood.

3. The submersible submerged on a dive Sunday morning at about 9:30 a.m. local time (8:30 a.m. ET), and was expected to resurface at about 3 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET). However, the crew of the Polar Prince, the ship that ferried the submersible and expedition members to the dive site, lost contact with them about 1 hour and 45 minutes into the dive.

4. The Coast Guard said it received a distress call from the Polar Prince at about 11:15 a.m. local time (10:15 a.m. ET) on Sunday, and launched a search and rescue operation involving U.S. and Canadian ships and planes. The search area is about 900 miles east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

5. The Coast Guard said it detected \"underwater noises\" on Monday that could be from the submersible's emergency beacon or from its communication system. However, it has not been able to confirm or locate the source of the noises yet.

6. The Coast Guard said the submersible has enough oxygen to last for up to 96 hours underwater, which means the five people on board could still be alive until Thursday morning. However, other factors such as water temperature, pressure and battery power could affect their survival chances.

7. The Coast Guard said it is working with military and civilian partners to develop a rescue plan if the submersible is located underwater. It is also reaching out to different partners within the U.S. Navy, within the Canadian armed forces, and within private industry to understand what underwater rescue capability might be available.

8. The Coast Guard said it is also coordinating with OceanGate Expeditions, which is \"exploring and mobilizing all options to bring the crew back safely\". The company said its \"entire focus is on the crewmembers in the submersible and their families\".

9. The Coast Guard said it is not aware of any distress signals or messages from the submersible since it went missing.  It also said it does not know what caused the loss of contact or whether there was any mechanical failure or human error involved.

10. The Titanic sank in 1912 after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic, killing more than 1,500 people on board. The wreck lies at about 12,500 feet (3,810 meters) below the surface. The Titan submersible usually takes two hours to descend to the wreck.

Source: 

(1) Submersible on Titanic tour reported missing off Newfoundland with 5 .... https://abcnews.go.com/US/submersible-reported-missing-off-newfoundland/story?id=100193632.

(2) Only 30 Hours Of Oxygen Left: Search For Missing Titanic Sub, With 5 Aboard, Like 'Going Into Space'. https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/techandscience/only-30-hours-of-oxygen-left-search-for-missing-titanic-sub-with-5-aboard-like-going-into-space/ar-AA1cP5aM.

(3) Missing Titanic submersible live updates: Canadian aircraft detected 'underwater noises,' Coast Guard says. https://abcnews.go.com/International/live-updates/missing-titanic-tourist-submersible/lawsuit-alleged-flaws-with-titanic-sub-now-missing-100264229?id=100224153.

(4) Missing Titanic Sub, With 5 Aboard, May Have 70 Hours Of Oxygen Left. https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/titanic-submarine-charging-tourists-250-000-missing-at-sea-4136024.

(5) Titanic tourist sub still missing as rescuers race the clock. https://www.reuters.com/world/titanic-tourist-submersible-missing-third-day-with-five-aboard-2023-06-20/.

(6) Submarine on expedition to Titanic wreckage missing with 5 aboard .... https://www.cbsnews.com/news/titanic-submarine-missing-rescue-mission-underway-newfoundland-canada/.

FAQ's

Who is on board missing Titanic sub?

Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, is aboard the missing submersible, the company confirmed Tuesday afternoon. He is on board as a member of the crew, the company said.

Can a submarine go to the Titanic?

"The vehicles designed for navy submarine rescue certainly can't get down to anywhere near the depth of the Titanic," he added. The Navy's submarine rescue specialists can go down to a maximum depth of 2,000 feet of seawater, according to the Underwater Rescue Command.

Who are the people missing in the submarine?

Five people are in the missing submersible: Mr. Rush, the company founder; Hamish Harding, a British businessman and explorer; the British executive Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman, from one of Pakistan's wealthiest families; and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a French maritime expert who has been on more than 35 dives to ...

How long does it take for a submersible to reach the Titanic?

two and a half hours That USBL system is the only communications link between the submersible and the surface, it adds. A Titanic dive takes about 10 hours from start to finish, including the two and a half hours it takes to reach the bottom, the website says.