Rescuers work tirelessly to locate and save the passengers as time runs out, while challenges mount in the treacherous depths of the North Atlantic.
All five onboard missing submersible Titan are believed to have died after a catastrophic loss of pressure chamber, the US Coast Guard confirmed after a days-long search operation. In a dramatic turn of events, the USCG announced today that an underwater vessel has discovered a debris field near the RMS Titanic, marking a potential breakthrough in the relentless search for a missing submersible.
The debris is “consistent with a catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber”, said Rear Adm John Mauger, the First Coast Guard District commander, as quoted by The Guardian. "Upon this determination, we immediately notified the families on behalf of the United States Coast Guard and the entire unified command. I offer my deepest condolences to the families," he said.
Tour company Oceangate, whose CEO was one of the passengers on the submersible, also announced that they believe the men onboard have died.
The vessel, which carried five individuals, had vanished during an expedition to explore the iconic wreckage of Titanic. This discovery has injected renewed hope into the around-the-clock efforts to locate and rescue the stranded passengers, according to media reports.
The search operation reached a crucial milestone on Thursday as the critical 96-hour mark approached, signifying the point at which the breathable air inside the submersible could have been exhausted. Rescuers have been working tirelessly to avert this grim outcome and save the lives of those aboard the missing vessel.
When the Titan submersible embarked on its mission in the North Atlantic on Sunday morning, it was equipped with an estimated four-day supply of breathable air. However, experts have stressed that this estimation was imprecise from the start and the duration could be extended if the passengers implemented measures to conserve air. The fate of those on board remains uncertain since the submersible's sudden disappearance.
To aid in the search efforts, authorities have deployed a wide array of resources, including ships, planes, and advanced equipment, to the last known location of the submersible. The U.S. Coast Guard reported that a Canadian ship has successfully deployed an undersea robot, which has reached the sea floor, while a deep-diving robot operated by a French research institute has also joined the search and rescue operation, equipped with cameras, lights, and manipulator arms.
The search area has been significantly expanded, covering thousands of square miles in the treacherous North Atlantic, an area twice the size of Connecticut, with depths plunging to 2 1/2 miles (4 kilometers). The west side of Matador has already witnessed substantial damage, with numerous buildings heavily impacted or completely destroyed, according to the U.S. National Weather Service.
Reported as overdue on Sunday afternoon, around 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. John's, Newfoundland, the Titan was en route to the site where the historic ocean liner sank more than a century ago. OceanGate Expeditions, the leading organization behind the expedition, has been conducting annual voyages since 2021 to document the decay of the Titanic and study the underwater ecosystem surrounding it.
While the hopes of finding survivors diminish with each passing hour, the rescue teams continue to face numerous challenges in their ongoing efforts. Locating the precise position of the submersible in the pitch-dark, expansive underwater environment remains an arduous task. Furthermore, the retrieval process, including reaching the submersible with suitable rescue equipment and safely bringing it to the surface, poses significant obstacles that must be overcome before the passengers' limited oxygen supply is depleted, as highlighted by Dr. Rob Larter, a marine geophysicist with the British Antarctic Survey.
Adding to the complexity of the mission are the notorious foggy conditions and frequent storms that plague the region where the Titan disappeared. These extreme weather challenges, combined with near-freezing temperatures, further complicate the already perilous search-and-rescue operation.
Amidst the ongoing efforts, new allegations have surfaced regarding safety concerns during the development of the submersible. As news broadcasters worldwide shed light on the urgency of the situation, Saudi-owned satellite channel Al Arabiya displayed the countdown to potential air depletion, capturing the gravity of the situation.
Captain Jamie Frederick of the First Coast Guard District reaffirmed that the mission is solely focused on search and rescue, expressing optimism regarding the survival of the passengers. The identification of unidentified underwater sounds holds promise in narrowing down the search area, although their precise location and origin are yet to be determined. Retired Navy Capt. Carl Hartsfield cautions that potential man-made sources other than the submersible must be thoroughly investigated and ruled out.
In response to the critical situation, the U.S. Navy has announced the deployment of a specialized salvage system capable of lifting large and heavy undersea objects. This system, known as the Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System, is en route to provide assistance in the operation. With the Titan weighing 20,000 pounds (9,000 kilograms), falling within the lifting capacity of up to 60,000 pounds (27,200 kilograms) of the salvage system, hopes are high that it will aid in the successful retrieval of the submersible, as stated on the Navy's official website.
Among the individuals missing aboard the submersible is Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate. The other passengers include British adventurer Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, and French explorer and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet.
OceanGate, the organization behind the ill-fated expedition, has facilitated successful dives to the Titanic wreck site in the past. According to documents filed by the company in a U.S. District Court in Norfolk, Virginia, responsible for Titanic-related matters, 46 individuals participated in expeditions in 2021 and 2022. However, the submersible's confined quarters and the use of a commercial video game controller as the control mechanism have drawn criticism. Nonetheless, OceanGate stands by the reliability of their vessel's off-the-shelf components.