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A submersible watercraft carrying five individuals has gone missing while exploring the site of the Titanic shipwreck in the North Atlantic. U.S. Coast Guard officials have initiated search operations based on underwater noises detected in the vicinity. Let’s delve into this incident’s details and understand its key factors.
When and where did the missing submersible disappear?
The Titan, a 22-foot carbon-fibre and titanium craft, deployed from the M.V. Polar Prince, a Canadian expedition ship, to descend nearly 13,000 feet to the shipwreck site off Newfoundland. However, contact with the surface ship was lost within an hour and 45 minutes of the dive.
Oxygen supply and concerns
Equipped with an estimated 96-hour breathable air supply, the submersible faces the possibility of running out of oxygen by Thursday morning. Unfortunately, there is no precise method to determine the remaining oxygen levels or replenish the supply.
Who are the passengers?
The missing submersible carried a total of five individuals:
Stockton Rush: Founder and CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, the operating company of the vessel.
Hamish Harding: A British businessman and explorer.
Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman: British businessmen from a prominent Pakistani family.
Paul-Henri Nargeolet: A French maritime expert with extensive experience, having participated in over 35 dives to the Titanic wreck.
Ownership and purpose of the vessel
OceanGate, a private company based in Everett, Wash., owns and operates the Titan. Specializing in organizing expeditions to shipwrecks and underwater canyons, OceanGate also offers crewed submersibles for commercial projects and scientific research. The company was founded in 2009 by an aerospace engineer and pilot, Stockton Rush.
The significance of the Titan
OceanGate considers the Titan the only crewed submersible in the world capable of accommodating five people and descending to depths of 4,000 meters (13,100 feet) below the ocean’s surface. The vessel’s interior space is limited, as showcased in images, and it has been utilized for tours of the Titanic site since 2021, with guests paying $250,000 for the unique experience.
Concerns and controversies
In 2018, the submersible craft industry expressed concerns about the “experimental” approach of OceanGate. More than three dozen industry leaders signed a letter, obtained by The New York Times, cautioning against potential “catastrophic” issues with the submersible’s development and the planned voyage to the Titanic wreckage.
Conclusion
The disappearance of the submersible and its passengers while exploring the Titanic shipwreck site has sparked a focused search effort by U.S. and Canadian authorities. As investigations unfold, the fate of the individuals and the circumstances surrounding this incident remain uncertain.
