A select group that paid thousands of dollars to explore the Titanic in a submarine disappeared without a trace. The search continues against the clock as the oxygen supply is limited. U.S. and Canadian authorities have joined forces to find the submersible, which was cut off one hour and 45 minutes after its immersion, according to official reports.
Why were they allowed to explore an area as complex as the Titanic’s? Did the submarine have everything it needed to survive? It was not the first time these tours were conducted and, in fact, the founder of the company that created the submersible, OceanGate, was part of the crew. Nothing could go wrong.
The Ambitious History of OceanGate
OceanGate began as a dream of an aerospace engineer and pilot in Stockton Rush in 2009. Rush created a company dedicated to underwater exploration and submarine technology for those wishing to conduct scientific research, explore underwater debris, or conduct underwater surveys.
Throughout their history, they have collaborated with research projects that achieved significant underwater expeditions such as the Belize Great Blue Hole. OceanGate was definitely not a rookie company. They are leaders in the development of advanced technologies and protocols in subsea missions.
It Was Not the First Titanic Expedition
Beginning in 2021, OceanGate organized expensive voyages lasting up to nine days to tour the wreckage of the Titanic. They repeated the feat in 2022, and this year would be their third expedition.
Titan, the lost submersible, is the only one in the world that can carry five people to depths of up to 4,000 meters, allowing it to reach nearly 50 percent of the world’s oceans. Images of the vessel show that the people on board would have little room to stand or sit.
The Videos
As we have already said, one of the most intriguing aspects of this case is the unexpected loss of communication. Videos of the expeditions that the submarine had made on the Titanic are circulating on the Internet:
This is the first 8K video documenting the wear and tear of the submerged Titanic:
So far, the efforts to rescue the submarine have not been positive.
According to specialists, the rescue operation is extremely complicated due to the remoteness of the site, the depth of the waters, and the dimensions of the submersible.
Story originally published in Spanish in Cultura Colectiva
