Five people who went for a dive in a submersible to see the Titanic shipwreck are now believed to be dead. They were reported missing on June 18th in the Atlantic Ocean near the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Starting in 2021, a submersible called Titan has brought many groups underwater to visit the Titanic shipwreck. A submersible is like a submarine but is often smaller and controlled remotely. The organizer of these trips is a company called OceanGate Expeditions.
The group of five left Sunday morning to see the Titanic. After about 90 minutes underwater, the submersible lost contact with its support vessel. At the time, the submersible was 700 kilometers South of St. Johns, Newfoundland.
Search efforts began on Monday, June 19, and OceanGate Expeditions estimated that the group aboard the submersible, Titan, only had about 96 hours worth of oxygen left. The U.S. and Canadian governments and other countries helped with the search of the submersible by sending ships and equipment.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, a Canadian aircraft said that it heard loud banging noises deep underwater. Retired Capt. Bobbie Scholley, a former US Navy diver, told CNN Monday, “The submersible is going to be making sounds itself with the systems on board … the crew, hopefully, are making noises as well.” The noises were reason to believe that those on board the Titan were still alive and trying to seek help, and there was still hope of rescuing them. Many people thought that these noises may have come from the Titan, but officials now disagree and think that the sounds aren’t related.
On Thursday morning, more ships arrived to help with the search, including two that had ROVs (remotely operated vehicles ) on board. On Thursday afternoon, four days after searches had begun, U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger announced in a news conference that an ROV had found a piece of the Titan about half a kilometer away from the Titanic.
“The debris is consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel,” he said. I
It’s unclear when the implosion of the Titan happened. A U.S. military official says that it’s possible that the submersible imploded on Sunday, right after it lost contact with its support vessel.
“I offer my deepest condolences to the families,” Mauger said. “I hope that this discovery provides some solace during this difficult time. “
Many asked exactly what went wrong, and this accident has raised questions about the unregulated nature of these expeditions, and OceanGate’s decision to skip third-party reviews and certification of Titan’s design.
References:
5 people in underwater Titanic expedition have been lost at sea. (2023, March 4). CBC Kids News. Retrieved June 26, 2023, from https://eb18600f7bb2916037f5ee8e636ce199.cdn.bubble.io/f1687709518559x542052506609288060/5%20people%20in%20underwater%20Titanic%20expedition%20have%20been%20lost%20at%20sea%20_%20Article%20_%20Kids%20News.pdf
Starting in 2021, a submersible called Titan has brought many groups underwater to visit the Titanic shipwreck. A submersible is like a submarine but is often smaller and controlled remotely. The organizer of these trips is a company called OceanGate Expeditions.
The group of five left Sunday morning to see the Titanic. After about 90 minutes underwater, the submersible lost contact with its support vessel. At the time, the submersible was 700 kilometers South of St. Johns, Newfoundland.
Search efforts began on Monday, June 19, and OceanGate Expeditions estimated that the group aboard the submersible, Titan, only had about 96 hours worth of oxygen left. The U.S. and Canadian governments and other countries helped with the search of the submersible by sending ships and equipment.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, a Canadian aircraft said that it heard loud banging noises deep underwater. Retired Capt. Bobbie Scholley, a former US Navy diver, told CNN Monday, “The submersible is going to be making sounds itself with the systems on board … the crew, hopefully, are making noises as well.” The noises were reason to believe that those on board the Titan were still alive and trying to seek help, and there was still hope of rescuing them. Many people thought that these noises may have come from the Titan, but officials now disagree and think that the sounds aren’t related.
On Thursday morning, more ships arrived to help with the search, including two that had ROVs (remotely operated vehicles ) on board. On Thursday afternoon, four days after searches had begun, U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger announced in a news conference that an ROV had found a piece of the Titan about half a kilometer away from the Titanic.
“The debris is consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel,” he said. I
It’s unclear when the implosion of the Titan happened. A U.S. military official says that it’s possible that the submersible imploded on Sunday, right after it lost contact with its support vessel.
“I offer my deepest condolences to the families,” Mauger said. “I hope that this discovery provides some solace during this difficult time. “
Many asked exactly what went wrong, and this accident has raised questions about the unregulated nature of these expeditions, and OceanGate’s decision to skip third-party reviews and certification of Titan’s design.
References:
5 people in underwater Titanic expedition have been lost at sea. (2023, March 4). CBC Kids News. Retrieved June 26, 2023, from https://eb18600f7bb2916037f5ee8e636ce199.cdn.bubble.io/f1687709518559x542052506609288060/5%20people%20in%20underwater%20Titanic%20expedition%20have%20been%20lost%20at%20sea%20_%20Article%20_%20Kids%20News.pdf
