The race to find a missing submarine that takes tourists to the wreckage site of the Titanic is turning frantic.
According to the Daily Mail, the submersible has not been seen since Sunday morning when it dove deep into the Atlantic Ocean. Reports suggest that the submarine had five people on board, three of them tourists.
Titanic tourist sub goes missing in Atlantic Ocean, sparking search and rescue mission https://t.co/PsPMj5dyk1
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) June 19, 2023
The submarine is used to transport tourists into the depths of the Atlantic to view Titanic’s wreckage. OceanGate Expeditions, the company that operates the submarine, charges $250,000 for a 10-day adventure.
OceanGate confirmed the news of the missing vessel on Monday, adding that it is focusing on the occupants and their families. The company said it was “exploring and mobilizing all options” to ensure the safe return of the crewmembers.
“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 with the submersible,” it added.
The Boston Coast Guard and Canadian Coast Guard are searching for the submarine, with fears rising that the vessel’s occupants might run out of oxygen. According to Rear Admiral John W. Mauger, the tiny submarine had just 72 hours of oxygen left as of 1 p.m. on Monday.
Mauger told Fox News that the Coast Guard does not have any vessel capable of rescuing the submarine.
“We don’t have equipment onsite that can do a survey of the bottom… there is a lot of debris at this wreckage, so locating will be difficult,” Mauger said. “We don’t have the capabilities at this time. Right now, we’re focused on trying to locate it.”
The submarine cannot direct itself underwater. Instead, it relies on text messages from its mothership for guidance. The mothership is used to transport the submarine over the Titanic’s wreckage before the tiny vessel goes underwater.
One of the tourists in the submarine is British billionaire Hamish Harding. Harding is the CEO of Action Aviation in Dubai. Two other tourists, whose identities have not been revealed, are with the billionaire.
