Armada of Rescue Efforts Deployed in Search for Submersible Titan and Crew

An armada of means is deployed to try to find the submersible Titan and its occupants. Three days after losing contact with the pocket submarine that had gone to explore the wreck of the Titanic at a depth of nearly 4,000 meters, the rescue services launched from Boston and the Canadian coasts had still not located it, Wednesday in the middle of the day, and while their oxygen reserves are estimated at four days.

Five people are on board: Stockton Rush, the pilot of the submersible and CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, which organizes these deep descents invoiced 250,000 dollars per person; Frenchman Paul-Henry Nargeolet, Titanic specialist; British adventurer Hamish Harding; and two Pakistani-Britons, businessman Shahzada Dawood and his nineteen-year-old son Suleman.

Communication was lost with the cockpit less than two hours after he began diving from the vessel Polar Prince. If the alert was not given until several hours later, the planes and boats of the American and Canadian coast guards fly over and crisscross from the vast area. Offshore oil service vessels arrived on site, providing several underwater robots.

Ifremer, the French research institute, also diverted the Atalante, a ship equipped with the Victor 6000 underwater robot. This can go up to 6,000 meters deep, beyond the area in which is beached the wreck of the Titanic. And the research has been refined in recent hours with the detection of noise by the sonar of P-3, Canadian maritime patrol planes.

Security

The debate started to mount in parallel on the security level of the Titan. If the customers of this expedition were aware of the risks, several media have unearthed a complaint from a former employee of OceanGate Expeditions, dismissed after having expressed doubts about the capacity of the machine to resist the pressure of the water at 4,000 meters deep.

Like space tourism, the exploration of the great depths is reserved for a handful of enthusiasts, who are often very wealthy individuals. The number of machines allowing access to it is also very limited. On board a submersible built by the American Triton Submarines and certified for “all depths”, the Texan investor and explorer Victor Vescovo has descended in recent years on the five deepest points of the oceans.

An exploration organized by Eyos Expeditions, founded by the British Rob McCallum, who had himself considered the approach of the CEO of OceanGate Expeditions risky. “I know Stockton well and I think the world needs more risk-ready Stocktons. But he’s the type to go at full speed, without worrying about torpedoes, and in the submersible industry, extreme depth is a question of precision and control,” he recalled in an interview with the Bloomberg agency, in 2017.

Beyond these highly specialized expedition organizers, a barely more democratized market, with objects worth several million euros each, has developed to equip yachts with pocket submarines, intended for dives less deep. And some larger capacity submersible initiatives, up to a few dozen places, have also been launched in tourist areas such as Hawaii – with the Atlantis submersibles – or Vietnam – with a Triton model.

How is the deployment of the PAA seen as crucial in the search efforts for the submersible and its occupants in previous deep-sea explorations?

And has been used in previous deep-sea explorations. Its deployment was seen as a critical addition to the search efforts.

The search area covers a wide expanse of the Atlantic Ocean, making the search challenging. However, authorities remain hopeful that the submersible and its occupants can be located before their oxygen reserves run out.

OceanGate Expeditions, the company behind the deep descents to explore the Titanic wreck, is working closely with rescue services to provide any necessary assistance. Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, is also the pilot of the submersible and one of the five individuals on board. His expertise in such expeditions makes him a valuable resource in the search efforts.

Paul-Henry Nargeolet, a well-known Titanic specialist from France, is also among the passengers on the submersible. His extensive knowledge and experience with the iconic wreck provide valuable insight for the search teams.

British adventurer Hamish Harding, along with businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, complete the group of individuals on board the submersible. Their presence adds to the urgency of the rescue operation, as every effort is made to locate and save them.

Various resources and technologies are being utilized in the search, including planes, boats, and underwater robots. The arrival of offshore oil service vessels, equipped with advanced underwater robots, has further bolstered the search capabilities. This includes the Atalante, a ship operated by Ifremer, the French research institute. Equipped with the Victor 6000 underwater robot, capable of diving up to 6,000 meters, the Atalante is a valuable asset in the search efforts.

As the search continues, the clock is ticking for the submersible and its occupants. With their estimated oxygen reserves at four days, time is of the essence. The combined efforts of rescue services, companies like OceanGate Expeditions, and research institutions like Ifremer are all focused on one goal – to locate and save the submersible Titan and its occupants before it’s too late.