2023-06-19 22:16:31
The US Coast Guard was looking for, Monday, June 19, the Titana small tourist submarine that went missing in the Atlantic Ocean, off North America, while engaged in an expedition to the sinking area of the Titanic with five people on board.
Search and rescue mission launched
The submarine disappeared off the coast of Canada, during an organized voyage to approach the wreck of the Titanic. The private company operating the submersible, OceanGate Expeditions, announced Monday, June 19, in a statement reported by BBCthat she “explore and mobilize all options” to bring the crew back safely.
Quoted by the British media, the American coast guard confirmed that a search and rescue mission had been launched. Canada is also helping with a boat and a plane, the Canadian Coast Guard told Agence France-Presse. The mobilized boat “was off eastern Newfoundland and departed for the search area”they said.
The US Coast Guard confirmed Monday evening on Twitter that five people were inside the missing submarine. “The crew of Polar-Prince [bateau de l’entreprise] lost contact with them about an hour and forty-five minutes into the dive”they detail.
“We are fully focused on the submersible crew members and their families”completes the company OceanGate Expeditions, which says it has received a « important assistance » of “several government agencies and deep-sea companies”.
An exploration at $250,000 instead
OceanGate Expeditions, which recently confirmed on his social networks that one of his expeditions was ” in progress “, charges customers $250,000 (230,000 euros) for a place on his eight-day expedition to see the famous wreck. The submersible can accommodate five people, according to the company, including a pilot, three fare-paying passengers and a « expert ».
Read also: One hundred and seven years after its sinking, the “Titanic” disappears inexorably, reveal new images
On the page of its site explaining the modalities of its activities, OceanGate Expeditions confirmed that a mission visiting the Titanic took place from June 12 to 20. The company’s only device capable of going ocean liner depth is the Titan, “a submersible designed to take five people to depths of 4,000 meters”with a range of ninety-six hours for a crew of five.
OceanGate used the Canadian ship Polar-Princean icebreaker previously operated by the Canadian Coast Guard, to ferry dozens of people and the submersible to the wreck site.
Third expedition to the “Titanic”
The wreckage of Titanic sits 3,810 meters (12,500 feet) at the bottom of the Atlantic, nearly 600 kilometers off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. In 1912, the liner struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. Of the 2,200 passengers and crew on board, more than 1,500 perished.
The 2023 OceanGate expedition was the third to the site of the sunken transatlantic liner to document its deterioration and underwater life. The trip was scheduled to depart in early May from St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, and complete in late June, according to a court document filed by the company in April with the U.S. District Court in Virginia which presides over the business of Titanic.
#submarine #left #explore #wreckage #missing