What Do We Know So Far About Missing Titanic Sub?
11:42 GMT 21.06.2023 (Updated: 12:45 GMT 21.06.2023)
© AP Photo / Ed Komenda
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A search and rescue operation is currently underway for the submersible that went missing on June 18 on a dive to the wreck of the Titanic in the North Atlantic, with five people said to be on board.
Amid the ongoing search and rescue operation to find the Titanic submersible, missing since Sunday, “banging sounds” were heard on June 20, according to an internal government memo cited by a US media report.
"Additional acoustic feedback was heard and will assist in vectoring surface assets and also indicating continued hope of survivors,” an update released later stated.
A white rectangular object had been spotted in the water by a Canadian P3 aircraft involved in the search operation, the same update added. Furthermore, an underwater remotely-operated craft was being sought by the Joint Rescue Coordination Center to assist in the search, according to the memo. OceanGate, the owner of the sub, has not offered any official comments in the wake of the new reports. The five people on board the submersible had "about 40 hours of breathable air left" the US Coast Guard stated at 1 p.m. ET Tuesday.
The logo for OceanGate Expeditions is seen on a boat parked near the offices of the company at a marine industrial warehouse office door in Everett, Wash., Tuesday, June 20,
© AP Photo / Ed Komenda
As the search continues, here is what is known so far about the missing Titanic submersible.
What is the Titanic Submersible?
A company based in the US state of Washington - OceanGate Expeditions - is the owner of the underwater craft - the Titan - a submersible typically used for scientific analysis. Made of “titanium and filament wound carbon fibre,” the sub can dive 4,000 meters “with a comfortable safety margin,” according to media-cited documents filed by OceanGate in April with a Virginia District Court. Back in 2021, OceanGate went on record as hailing the sub's “unparalleled safety feature” that "assesses the integrity of the hull" for the duration of a dive. The submersible in question had undergone over 50 test dives, including to depths equivalent to the watery resting place of the iconic wreck - the Titanic.
Submersibles such as the Titan require a ship to launch and recover them. A support vessel for the current OceanGate expedition to the wreck of the Titanic was hired for the purpose - Canadian research icebreaker the Polar Prince.
Screenshot of Twitter account of OceanGate Expeditions.
© Photo : Twitter
Where was the Titanic Sub Going?
The Titan submersible was journeying to the iconic wreck of the Titanic, a massive passenger liner that struck an iceberg during its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City. The vessel sank in April 1912, about 400 miles east of Newfoundland, and has been lying about 2.4 miles (3.8 kilometers) below the surface.
The goal of OceanGate’s submersible was to survey the degree of deterioration of the wreck to metal-eating bacteria, besides taking stock of the impact on the underwater ecosystem. This was OceanGate’s third annual voyage to the Titanic.
20 June 2023, 23:18 GMT
What Happened to the Titanic Sub?
The submersible owned by OceanGate Expeditions went missing en route to the wreckage of the Titanic. It lost contact with its mother ship after about 1 hour and 45 minutes of its descent, according to the US Coast Guard, about 900 miles (1,448.41 kilometers) east of Cape Cod in the North Atlantic, at a depth of around 13,000 feet (3.9 kilometers).
According to information released since, the sub has a capacity for five people and oxygen supply lasting around 96 hours. The US firm deploying submersibles for deep sea expeditions confirmed in a statement on Monday that it was trying to re-establish contact with one of its vessels, saying:
"Our entire focus is on the crewmembers in the submersible and their families," OceanGate said, adding it was "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."
At the time, OceanGate did not reveal how many people were on board the vessel and whether there were any tourists there.
Members of the Coast Guard watch as US Coast Guard Captain Jamie Frederick speaks during a press conference about the search efforts for the submersible that went missing near the wreck of the Titanic, at Coast Guard Base in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 20, 2023.
© AFP 2023 / JOSEPH PREZIOSO
Who Was on Board Missing Titanic Sub?
One pilot and four “mission specialists” were onboard the missing submersible, according to US Coast Guard.
Typically, OceanGate expeditions to the watery grave of the Titanic comprise marine biologists, archaeologists and paying guests, referred to as “mission specialists.” Reports state that such “guests” take turns performing various tasks such as, for example, operating the sonar equipment. The cost of taking part in such an expedition is approximately $250,000 per person, according to OceanGate’s website, with the trip taking off from St. John’s, a city in Newfoundland off Canada's Atlantic coast. The city is the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador province. The expeditions then proceed approximately 640 km (400 miles) into the Atlantic to the wreckage site of the Titanic.
The four "mission specialists" are said to be Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood and his teen son Suleman, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and Stockton Rush.
Twitter screenshot showng photos of five people believed to be aboard the missing Oceangate submersible Titan that was surveying wreckage of the Titanic.
© Photo : Twitter
Action Aviation, a company that British billionaire Hamish Harding is the chairman of, was cited as confirming that the businessman was on board the sub. Harding is cited as having posted on social media earlier in June that he was heading out on an expedition on the submersible, with the maiden dive slated for Sunday.
"The team on the sub has a couple of legendary explorers, some of which have done over 30 dives to the RMS Titanic since the 1980s including PH Nargeolet," he noted at the time.
Incidentally, the adventurer was one of six people who flew on the Jeff Bezos-owned Blue Origin's mission last year. Harding also boasts several records with the Guinness Book of World Records, including for the "fastest circumnavigation of Earth via both the geographic poles" by airplane, accomplished in 2019 in just over 46 hours.
The family of Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his son, Suleman, also confirmed that they were on board the Titan and told media:
“We are very grateful for the concern being shown by our colleagues and friends and would like to request everyone to pray for their safety.”
One of Pakistan's richest men, Shahzada Dawood is vice chairman of the Engro Corporation, which produces fertilizers, food, and energy. He holds a similar post with the Dawood Hercules Corporation, which makes chemicals. Pakistan’s Engro corporation had announced that its vice chairman and his son were on board the missing submersible, saying:
"On Sunday, June 18, Mr Shahzada Dawood, Vice Chairman of Engro Corporation Limited, along with his son, Suleman, embarked on a journey to visit the remnants of the Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean. All that we know so far is that contact was lost with their submersible craft. There is limited information available beyond this that we know, and we humbly request that speculation and theorization is avoided."
French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, dubbed a Titanic expert, as per OceanGate's website, led six expeditions to the ship's wreckage site before the current expedition.
The CEO and founder of OceanGate Expeditions, Stockton Rush, was also on board his company’s Titan submersible.
20 June 2023, 23:18 GMT
Were There Problems With the Sub Before?
It has since surfaced that David Lochridge, OceanGate’s former director of marine operations, had warned of “quality control and safety” issues linked to the submersible back in 2018.
Lochridge claimed a “lack of non-destructive testing performed on the hull of the Titan,” and reportedly raised the issue with OceanGate’s CEO and founder Stockton Rush. However, he was purportedly wrongfully terminated, as per a lawsuit cited in the media.
The same year, diving experts are cited as having sounded the alarm about similar issues. The experts claimed that the submersible’s design was such that it “could result in negative outcomes (from minor to catastrophic) that would have serious consequences for everyone in the industry.”
How is the Rescue Operation Proceeding?
The United States Coast Guard has been spearheading the operation to locate the missing submersible. The international search and rescue operation is “doing everything possible” as part of a “complex search effort,” but has so far “not yielded any results,” US Coast Guard Capt. Jamie Frederick told reporters Tuesday at a 1 p.m. ET news conference. The “unique” and “challenging” search effort has brought together “our nation's best experts,” he said.
At the time, Frederick speculated that the sub was down to 40 hours of oxygen.
“What I will tell you is, we will do everything in our power to effect a rescue,” he said.
The United States Navy is deploying its subject matter experts and the appropriate assets to assist in the search and rescue operation, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said on Tuesday, adding:
"In addition to that, the Navy has been in touch with the Coast Guard and is working to provide personnel such as subject matter experts and assets as quickly as possible."
The US Navy has also deployed a “Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System (FADOSS)," which can lift up to 60,000 pounds, US media reported, citing a spokesperson.
Meanwhile, the French National Institute for Ocean Science sent its robot scout to search for the submersible, a French newspaper reported, citing French State Secretary for the Sea Herve Berville. The deep-dive robot scout Victor 6000 would dive to the wreck of the Titanic at a depth of 4,000 meters (2.5 miles) and conduct a search operation using monitoring equipment, the newspaper reported.
As of Wednesday, after a Canadian P-3 aircraft detected underwater noises in the search area, ROV operations yielded negative results, but continue, US Coast Guard Northeast tweeted.
Screenshot of Twitter post by US Coast Guard Northeast.
© Photo : Twitter
