Search For Missing Titanic Submersible Continues in a Race Against Time; Why Was the Craft Deployed and Who Was on Board?

A privately managed submersible with a crew of five individuals dived into the Titanic wreck. However, just this month, it went missing.

Missing Titanic Submersible

According to Science Alert, the craft, which is handled by OceanGate Expeditions, started diving into the waters on Sunday. However, in less than two hours, the submersible lost contact with the surface base.

This has led the US Coast Guard to deploy two planes to examine the area across the North Atlantic. Canadian counterparts also deployed a ship and a plane to the area.

Regarding the ongoing search, the New York Times explained that the US Coast Guard was in a race against time last Tuesday and was faced with several logistical difficulties, such as the pressure deep under the sea. The Times further added that the submersible, dubbed Titan, was within the vicinity to explore the Titanic wreck and that the craft was around halfway through what was initially planned to be a 2.5-hour exploration. The vessel is thought to only contain oxygen good enough for a few days.

SETI trustee Shazada Dawood and space explorer Hamish Harding are part of the crew of the submersible, Space.com notes. Along with them are Suleman, who is Dawood's son; Stockton Rus, OceanGate's CEO and founder; and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who is a Titanic researcher.

Race Against Time

Admiral John Mauger of the US Coast Guard explained to Boston reporters that it is difficult to conduct a search in the specific area. However, they are deploying resources to ensure that the craft can be found and the crew can be rescued.

The search is mainly a race against time. Per Science Alert, the vessel's range for its five-member crew is 96 hours. Mauger explained on Monday afternoon that the vessel may still have enough oxygen for at least 70 hours.

The company, OceanGate Expeditions, explains that their primary focus is the crew's wellbeing. They are reportedly taking every step to ensure that the five members are rescued safely.

Titanic Wreck

The wreck of the Titanic is one of history's most famous disasters of all time. The ship reportedly sank from April 14 evening until the morning of April 15, 1912. This was just four days after it was set off, Live Science explains.

Before the ship fell into its demise, Frederick Fleet yelled before 11:40 p.m., that he had spotted an iceberg. Identifying this danger was harder during the evening, due to the sea's incredible calmness.

When the ship tried to avoid the iceberg that was approaching, it made a sudden left turn. As a result, the iceberg ended up being sideswiped by the ship. The impact led to holes by the port and along the boat's stretch.

The compartments started getting filled with water. Six of the ship's compartments were leaking. With this, the fate of the ship was sealed. The Titanic lost sufficient buoyancy to continue floating. After nearly three hours, the ship sank.

Check out more news and information on Titanic in Science Times.