According to The Guardian, warships, planes and remotely operated vehicles have traveled more than 25,000 square kilometers in search of the missing bathyscaphe, but so far without success. The search is hampered by the small dimensions of the missing device and the wreckage of the legendary liner, among which in complete darkness it is quite difficult to detect a small underwater vessel.
A silver lining appeared on the Atlantic horizon when a Canadian plane picked up underwater sounds that experts say could indicate the crew are still alive. However, further investigation of the origin of these noises did not yield the expected results.
According to Sky News, two US Hercules (C-130) military transport planes, a Canadian P-8 Poseidon anti-submarine plane and a Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 Aurora patrol plane were circling in the area of the loss of the submarine. At least five ships are taking part in the operation, including the “mother ship” of the missing submersible. France, in turn, sent the ship L Atalante with a deep-sea search robot on board to search. But Washington ignored British help, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Magellan Limited experts wanted to rescue the crew from an underwater prison using their device, which can dive to 5,000 meters. But American officials preferred to use a similar ship from New York, only the maximum depth subject to it is 3,000 meters, while the bathyscaphe is probably stuck among the ruins of the Titanic at a depth of 3,700 meters.
By the way, this is not the first disappearance of the device from OceanGate Expeditions. According to CBS reporter David Pogue, a year ago, the firm’s bathyscaphe disappeared from radar for five hours. The reporter at that time was on the ship, which was waiting for the submarine on the surface. As soon as the crew lost contact with the device, the internet was cut off on the ship: the press was forbidden to report on the incident. Simpsons screenwriter Mike Reiss, who has explored the depths of the sea three times with the company, has complained of frequent breakdowns during expeditions.
At least five ships are involved in the rescue operation
In recent years, prominent ocean scientists and company employees have spoken out about the unreliable descent bathyscaphe design, with one even losing his job for persistent attempts to reach out to executives. Indeed, according to experts, diving to the bottom of the Atlantic in a device controlled by joysticks was a risky step for even the most desperate adventurers.
In the meantime
The total fortune of the crew of the Titan submersible disappeared from radar can reach 10 billion dollars, the agency has calculated RIA Novosti. Hamish Harding, chairman of the board of directors of Action Aviation, visited the wreck of the sunken Titanic. True, the agency notes, there is no exact information about his condition, but the British media estimate Harding’s fortune at 1.3 billion US dollars. And Pakistani businessman Shahzad Dawood, who took part in this risky expedition with his son, is generally called the richest man in Pakistan. And although Dawood lives permanently in Britain, he holds the position of vice-president of one of Pakistan’s largest fertilizer companies. Dawood’s fortune can be estimated at eight billion US dollars. The third passenger of the bathyscaphe is a French veteran of underwater research, the fourth is the founder of an American company which organizes excursions to the wreck of the Titanic.
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