A rescue mission is ongoing for a missing Submarine that was used for Titanic wreck tours in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday.
The current focus of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is on conducting a search for a lost Titan submersible.
OceanGate Expeditions’ Submarine Goes Missing
OceanGate Expeditions (OGE) offers tourists the opportunity to rent this compact craft for exploring the renowned submarine. OGE has recently utilized social media to publicize the introduction of fresh mission crews for an upcoming voyage in the North Atlantic.
According to the Coast Guard, there are five individuals on board the submersible, comprising one crew member and four “mission specialists.” The Coast Guard is currently conducting an aerial search for the submersible, which is equipped with an automatic surfacing mechanism in the event of technical issues.
OceanGate stated, “We are exploring and mobilizing all possible measures to ensure the safe return of the crew. Our primary focus is on the crewmembers in the submersible and their families. We express our deep gratitude for the extensive assistance received from various government agencies and deep sea companies in our endeavors to establish contact with the submersible and facilitate the crew’s safe return.”
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Titanic Wreckage Resurfaces in Recent Incident
Although the identities of the individuals on board have not been confirmed by OGE, it has been reported on Facebook by Brian Szasz, the stepson of U.K. billionaire Hamish Harding, that Harding is among them. On Saturday, Harding himself confirmed his participation in the OGE voyage through a post on his personal Facebook account.
The USCG Northeast has deployed a C-130 aircraft to search for the submersible on the surface, while the Rescue Coordination Center Halifax has dispatched a P-8 Poseidon aircraft capable of dropping sonar buoys for underwater search operations. Additional aircraft from both the U.S. and Canada are en route.
The Titan submersible is advertised as having sufficient life support to sustain five individuals for 96 hours, which means rescuers have 72 hours left to locate the vessel unless it has experienced a catastrophic failure and failed to resurface.
In a Twitter announcement earlier in June, OceanGate revealed its reliance on Elon Musk’s Starlink for internet and communication connectivity during the expedition. It remains unclear whether communication played a role in the submersible’s disappearance.
This incident on Monday follows the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s (WHOI) release of previously unseen footage of the Titanic wreckage in February. The haunting video was captured during the WHOI’s 1986 exploration, involving 11 dives to a depth of nearly 12,500 feet beneath the ocean’s surface.
The dives utilized the Alvin, a three-person submersible, to transport humans to the wreck for the first time, while a remotely operated vehicle called Jason Jr. was used to enter the submerged vessel.
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