A search and rescue operation is underway to find a missing submersible from tour operator OceanGate Expeditions to the wreck of the Titanic off the coast of St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada.
The vessel has between 70 and 96 hours of oxygen remaining, officials said Monday afternoon.
Timeline
The expedition began with a 740-kilometer journey to the wreck site, which is about 1448 kilometers off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA.
The submersible began its descent on Sunday (18) morning, but lost contact with a crew from the Polar Prince, the support vessel that transported the vessel to the site, 1 hour and 45 minutes after the descent, according to authorities.
The US Coast Guard was alerted that the submersible was running late and launched surface water searches and an aircraft to begin aerial and radar searches, Rear Admiral John Mauger said during a news conference on Monday.
What do we know about the vessel
The submersible, named “Titan”, weighs around 10 tonnes and is made of carbon fiber and titanium, according to tour operator OceanGate Expeditions.
The 20-foot vessel has life support for up to 96 hours, according to the OceanGate website.
Mauger said officials “anticipate there are between 70 and 96 hours” of oxygen available on the ship at this point. The wreckage of the Titanic, discovered in 1985, lies in two parts on the ocean floor, about 4 kilometers below the surface.
who’s on board
Five people are on the missing submersible, according to authorities.
Businessman Hamish Harding is one of the passengers, according to a social media post by his company, Action Aviation. Typically, a pilot, a “content specialist” and three paying passengers are on expeditions, according to the OceanGate website.
The cost of joining the eight-day expedition is “from US$ 250,000” (equivalent to R$ 1.194 million), according to the operator.
Mauger said the Coast Guard is notifying families of people on the submersible.
search efforts
The effort is incorporating aircraft, sonar buoys and “sonar on the ship that’s out there to listen for any sounds that we can detect in the water column,” Mauger said.
The Polar Prince is also helping in the search, a co-owner said. The Canadian Armed Forces and the US Coast Guard sent aircraft to the remote North Atlantic area.
What comes next
The Coast Guard said its priority is to locate the vessel. If crews find the vessel in the water, rescue plans will be formed, Mauger said.
At that point, the Coast Guard will liaise with the US Navy, Canadian Armed Forces and private industry partners to assess what “underwater rescue capability might be available,” Mauger said.
Source: CNN Brasil
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