Search and Rescue Underway for Missing Submarine during Titanic Expedition

A search and rescue operation is currently underway to locate a submarine that disappeared on Sunday during a tourist expedition to the Titanic. The United States and Canadian coast guards have joined forces to search for the missing submarine, which vanished during an expedition from St. John’s, N.L. The iconic wreckage of the Titanic is located more than 600 kilometers southeast of Newfoundland in the North Atlantic Ocean.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, contact with the submersible was lost approximately one hour and 45 minutes after it descended into the ocean on Sunday morning. The submarine in question is part of OceanGate Expeditions, a U.S.-based company organizing the trip to the Titanic. Their specially designed submersible, named Titan, is capable of reaching the wreckage 3,800 meters below the surface. OceanGate’s website offers a seven-night voyage to the Titanic at a cost of US$250,000 per person, or roughly C$330,000. The submersible was deployed from a vessel called the Polar Prince. Built with carbon fiber and titanium, the 6.7-meter-long Titan is equipped with oxygen and life support systems that can sustain the crew for up to 96 hours, or four days. OceanGate has been conducting expeditions to the Titanic since 2021.

A spokesperson for OceanGate expressed gratitude for the extensive assistance provided by various government agencies and deep-sea companies in the efforts to re-establish contact with the submersible. The company is working tirelessly to ensure the safe return of the crewmembers.

The exact number of individuals on board the missing submarine is currently unknown. Typically, the Titan carries a pilot and four passengers.

Despite the expedition’s departure from Canada, the jurisdiction of the Titanic wreck falls under the U.S. Coast Guard’s Boston fleet. The Canadian Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax has dispatched a P8 Poseidon aircraft and the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Kopit Hopson 1752 to assist in the U.S.-led search operation. The P8 Poseidon is known to possess underwater detection capabilities. Additionally, a U.S. C-130 Hercules aircraft is scouring the area in search of any signs of the missing submarine.