Sinking of a tourist submarine during the exploration of the wreck of the Titanic
The world is on high alert after contact was lost with a tourist submarine while exploring the wreck of the Titanic. The Titan, a submersible owned by OceanGate Expeditions, is missing with five people on board, including wealthy British businessman Hamish Harding.
The search is underway by the US and Canadian Coast Guards, which were alerted by the craft operator. The submarine was in a remote region of the Atlantic Ocean, about 1,450 km east of Cape Cod, at a depth of about 4,000 km.
OceanGate Expeditions issued a statement in which it said it was “exploring all options to bring the crew back safely.” Two theories have been put forward as to the cause of the loss of contact. The first is a technical problem that could have been solved, while the second is related to a hull leak that would have led to the disappearance of the submersible.
Hamish Harding, CEO of Action Aviation, was reportedly one of the passengers aboard the submarine. He recently announced on social media that he had joined OceanGate Expeditions for the Titanic mission.
Leaving Southampton on April 10, 1912 to reach New York, the Titanic, the largest liner in the world at the time of its launch, was shipwrecked after hitting an iceberg five days later. Of the 2,224 passengers and crew, nearly 1,500 perished. The wreck was discovered in 1985 650 kilometers off the Canadian coast, at a depth of 4,000 meters in the international waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Since then, treasure seekers and tourists have regularly visited the wreck.
If this search is successful, OceanGate Expeditions would be very proud to add another series of underwater pioneers to its portfolio of prestigious clients. If it works, it will pave the way for them on further missions to famous shipwrecks from the past