Search and rescue operation underway for missing submarine en route to Titanic wreckage
The U.S. Coast Guard said there was one pilot and four passengers on board and that the vessel had the capacity to be submerged for 96 hours, but it was unclear whether it was still underwater or had surfaced and was unable to communicate.
A submarine used for taking people to explore the Titanic wreckage has been reported missing in the Atlantic Ocean, along with its crew. The exact location in the ocean where the submersible may have disappeared remains unknown.
Capable of accommodating up to five people, the submarine typically requires approximately eight hours to complete a full dive into the Titanic wreck.
During a news conference held on Monday afternoon, Rear Admiral John Mauger officially confirmed that a total of five individuals were onboard the submersible. According to a Coast Guard official, the personnel consisted of one operator and four mission specialists, a term utilized by the company to refer to its passengers.
Multiple reports indicate that a search and rescue operation is currently in progress to locate the missing submersible. The submarine was owned by OceanGate Expeditions, a company specializing in manned submersibles for deep-sea expeditions.
OceanGate Expeditions, in a statement, expressed that they are actively exploring all possible avenues to ensure the safe return of the crew. Typically, the submersible is equipped with a four-day oxygen supply and accommodates a pilot, three paying guests, and a content expert, as described by OceanGate.
The tragic sinking of the Titanic occurred during its inaugural voyage in 1912 when it collided with an iceberg, resulting in the loss of over 1,500 lives. Since the discovery of the shipwreck deep at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean in 1985, extensive exploration efforts have been undertaken to investigate the remnants of the vessel.
