A tourist submarine has gone missing while exploring the Titanic shipwreck in the Atlantic Ocean.
The Boston Coast Guard said a search and rescue operation was underway for the small submersible craft, which takes tourists to view the famous shipwreck 370 miles (600 km) off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
The Coast Guard said a C-130 search and rescue aircraft had been deployed, assisted by a P8 Poseidon aircraft from the Halifax Rescue Coordination Center that is equipped with underwater detection capabilities.
The submersible is owned by OceanGate Expeditions, a company that offers guided tours to the world’s most famous shipwreck.
More than 1,500 of the British ocean liner Titanic’s 2,240 passengers and crew perished when the ship crashed into an iceberg and sank on April 14, 1912, during its maiden voyage from Southampton, UK, to New York.
Missing
OceanGate Expeditions confirmed in a statement that it owned the missing submersible, and that five people were on board.
“We are exploring and mobilizing all options to bring the crew back safely,” a media brief from the company stated. “Our entire focus is on the crewmembers in the submersible and their families.
“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,” the company added.
The submersible is a Cyclops-class vehicle designed to take 5 people to a maximum depth of 13,100 feet (4,000 meters). Usually, a tour guide accompanies the pilot and 3 passengers in the 22 foot (6.7 m) carbon-fiber vessel.
The company charges $250,000 for a 10-day Titanic excursion, which includes 8 days at sea. Because of the depths involved, each dive to the wreck—including decent and ascent, compression and decompression—reportedly takes around eight hours in total.
The wreck of the luxury ship, which had been claimed to be “unsinkable,” has long been an object of fascination. This fascination only grew stronger after the shipwreck was discovered some 12,500 feet (3800 m) under the North Atlantic in 1985.
A stunning, full size digitized scan of the wreck was completed only last month, revealing the ships distinctive bow, as well as details like its grand staircase—and even the serial number on one of the ship’s propellers.
