The world is watching the desperate search for a lost submersible – and
conditions on board the vessel may be worse than what you imagined.
On June 18, OceanGate Expeditions sent a submersible craft from Cape Cod,
Massachusetts, to explore the wreckage of the RMS Titanic, 13,000 feet below
sea level. CNN reports that the eight-day expedition left Newfoundland without a hitch.
But on Sunday morning, the Titan — the expedition’s 23,000-pound
carbon fiber-and-titanium submersible — disappeared. The Titan’s support ship,
the Canadian Polar Prince, lost contact with it 1 hour and 45 minutes into its 2-hour descent.
The Independent says five people are on board: OceanGate founder Stockton Rush,
French diver P.H. Nargeolet, Action Aviation owner Hamish Harding,
and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman.
The craft is reported to be equipped with four days of emergency oxygen. On Monday, June 19,
Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger said he estimated 70 to 96 hours of oxygen remained.
Search and rescue operations are underway, with the Titan’s depth and location making
it hard to find. Weather conditions — foggy air, cloudy skies, and choppy
waves — initially hindered attempts to reach the Titan’s descent point.
OceanGate Expeditions advisor David Concannon alleged to NewsNation that
the U.S. government is slowing rescue efforts by responding late to his queries and acting
slowly. But another cause for concern is the reported quality of the craft itself.
A CBS Sunday Morning segment, originally broadcast in November 2022, went viral as news spread of the
missing craft. That report featured an in-depth look at the now-missing Titan, and some of the
details are harrowing. As correspondent David Pogue said in his report for CBS,
"I couldn't help noticing how many pieces of this sub seemed improvised."
Components of the Titan craft were described by OceanGate's CEO as "off-the-shelf," with
the vessel's interior lights allegedly being purchased from a camping supply store. The ship's
ballasts have been described as being repurposed construction pipes, with its control system built
around a modified wireless video game controller. The controller seen in the CBS report, a Logitech
G F710, can typically be purchased for less than $50, and requires 2 AA batteries to work.
"It's meant for a 16-year-old to throw it around. It's super-durable,
we keep a couple of spares on board."
The Titan also is reported to have no GPS system, and navigates by following
instructions sent from a support craft via text message. The system is apparently not foolproof,
with CBS capturing one instance of the submersible being lost for more than two hours.
The comfort level of the Titan is debatable, with the interior said to
be the size of a minivan. Occupants sit on the floor in close quarters,
locked in with deadbolts from the outside. It's also equipped with
a toilet, located near the front by the viewing window, separated by a curtain.
The crew currently lost on their visit to the Titanic is said to be experienced. Concannon
told the Independent that the same group surveyed the Titanic last year. Concannon
likely meant the 2022 OceanGate visit, which ended safely. Concannon himself
planned to join the current dive but withdrew at the last minute.
OceanGate says its goal is to document the Titanic before it decays more. In May 2023,
BBC News showed footage of a mapped, 3D model of the Titanic by Magellan
Ltd. The ship is a mess of debris and refuse. Magellan’s model — a "digital
twin" — shows every encrusted door, twisted staircase, crag of metal,
and discarded glass bottle on the ship, even the serial number on its propellers.
But historian Parks Stephenson on BBC News states that many questions persist about the
Titanic’s crash, such as where it hit the iceberg that sank it. That’s why companies
like OceanGate want to study the ship as much as possible before it disintegrates.
Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger told USA Today about the
difficulties in conducting a search for the lost Titan, before noting,
"We are deploying all available assets to make sure that we can
locate the craft and rescue the people on board.”
The U.S.-Canada joint search started with two aircraft from each country and a commercial
vessel. More ships and aircraft will join the search later. OceanGate said in a statement,
"We are deeply thankful for the extensive assistance we have received from several
government agencies and deep sea companies in our efforts to reestablish contact with
the submersible. We are working toward the safe return of the crewmembers."
Action Aviation managing director Mark Butler — the company owned by billionaire Hamish Harding,
one of the five missing expeditioners — expressed
similar sentiments. Butler told the Associated Press,
"Every attempt is being made for a rescue mission. There is still plenty of time to
facilitate a rescue mission. There is equipment on board for survival
in this event. We're all hoping and praying he comes back safe and sound."
Despite this expertise, the five people on the Titan are technically tourists,
having reportedly paid $250,000 each for the trip. OceanGate began the venture in 2021,
with a goal of pioneering tourist visits to the Titanic. It's a goal that remains
in question amid the desperate search for the company's lost submersible.