The submersible Titan, operated by OceanGate Expeditions and offering tours of the Titanic’s wreckage, began diving into the Atlantic early on the morning of June 18 and lost contact with the ship above water less than two hours later. A rescue team was sent to search.
In 2022, CBS reporter David Pouge ventured aboard the Titan to see Titanic under the ocean. When joining the tour, he must sign a written refusal to sue if there is an incident during the trip. David said the submersible was only “experimental” and “has not been authorized by any regulatory authority”.
The train operates with a single round button, when starting this button will change from red to green. “It (operating, using) is like an elevator and (the operator) does not require a lot of skills,” OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush explained to David.
Titan submersible. Image: Ocean Gate Expeditions
Theo Forbes, OceanGate Expeditions is an ocean exploration company founded in 2009 with a fleet of submersibles to help tourists have unique experiences in the deep sea. The Titan can dive nearly 4.000 meters, carrying up to five people at a time to the wreck of the Titanic located off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
The passenger liner Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg in 1912, killing 1.514 of the 2.224 people on board. The Titanic’s body was found in 1985 at a depth of nearly 4.000 meters, about 600 km from Newfoundland. Since then, many scientists and professional expeditions have approached the area.
One tour, including diving and ascent, lasts about 8 hours. Tour price is 250.000 USD per person, the duration of the tour is 10 days. Eight of those days are time at sea. Titan will be transported by another ship to the Titanic wreck site from St John’s on the island of Newfoundland.
Titan weighs about 10.000 kg, is nearly 7 m long, nearly 3 m wide and 2,5 m high. The ship can carry a tonnage of 685 kg and has only a single window so visitors can see the Titanic’s body. Moving speed of 3 knots (5,5 km/h), can operate in many different seas.
The tour company says a range of sensors and other technology on board helps monitor lateral pressure while diving. The ship also has a system that provides early warning detection to give the crew enough time to return safely to the surface. Doug Elsey, CEO of the Canadian Association of Diving Contractors, said the ship has equipment to help locate them underwater. “So you’ll know where it is,” Elsey said. When the ship loses signal, it will be time for the authorities to start the search.
In the event of an emergency, the oxygen in the vessel is enough to supply five people for 96 hours. Currently, the authorities report that the amount of oxygen in the missing ship is only enough for 70 hours.
OceanGate Expeditions successfully approached the Titanic wreck for the first time in 2021, after several tests from 2017. In the two years 2021-2022, the supplier said that “the ship has conducted many successful expedition tours.” . The company plans to organize 18 diving tours to see the wreck from this summer.
Hamish Harding is believed to be one of five people on board the missing Titan. Image: to Reuters
One of the current missing passengers is Hamish Harding, a British businessman and billionaire. In posts on his personal page on June 18, Harding said “this expedition tour is likely to be the first and only trip to the Titanic wreck in 6”.
Mr. Minh (Follow Forbes, CBC)
