OceanGate Expeditions, a company specializing in deep-sea expeditions using manned vehicles, has confirmed media reports that one of its bathyscaphes, which was diving towards the wreck of the Titanic, had gone missing. On this subject informed CBS News, citing a response from the company’s press office.
Lt. Jordan Hart of the US Coast Guard in Boston told the TV station the search and rescue operation in the North Atlantic began on the morning of June 19. In the Canadian Coast Guard clarified that the location of the bathyscaphe’s disappearance is in the area of responsibility of the regional coordination center in Boston, which is why he organizes a rescue operation.
OceanGate Expeditions said it was “exploring and mobilizing all options for the safe return of the crew” from its submersible. “We focus on crew members and their families. We are deeply grateful for the extensive assistance we have received from several government agencies and companies in our efforts to restore contact with the submersible,” the statement read.
At the same time, OceanGate Expeditions did not specify how many people are on board and whether there are tourists among them – individuals who pay for the opportunity to go on deep-sea expeditions. Usually these expeditions consisted of a voyage to the Titanic lying at the bottom, at a distance of approximately 740 km from the coast of Newfoundland.
On the company website announcement seven-day tours to view the wreck, costing $250,000. This amount includes training with training, equipment rental, meals and the trip itself. The team for such trips usually included three tourists, a captain and a social media content specialist, informed Forbes.
On June 15, OceanGate’s website and online accounts had published a message that an expedition on the Titanic is now “in progress”. The publication pointed out that equipment from satellite company Starlink is used to communicate with the crew. “Even though we’re in the middle of the North Atlantic, we have the internet connection to successfully dive into the Titanic – thanks to Starlink,” the company tweeted.
The missing deep-sea submersible is called “Titan” – in honor of the “Titanic”, for which it was mainly used for diving. It is the only five-passenger submersible in the world capable of reaching the wreck of the Titanic, which lies more than 3.86 km below the surface of the water.
Last Saturday, June 17, British businessman Hamish Harding wrote on his Facebook* page that he was part of the OceanGate expedition, which left St. John’s (Newfoundland) the day before. “The team includes several legendary explorers who have completed more than 30 dives on the Titanic since the 1980s,” he explained.
Harding’s message said the expedition would likely be “the first and last manned dive on the Titanic in 2023” due to weather conditions. The businessman said the team plans to start diving at 04:00 on June 18.
In 2022, CBS News sent correspondent David Pogue on such a trip. He compared the Titan in terms of interior space to a minivan and noted some unusual elements which he called “improvised”, such as the game console joystick used to control the submarine.
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