2023-06-19 19:03:03
Research has begun to find the device, capable of carrying 5 people. A Frenchman is part of the expedition, but his presence on board the craft is not yet confirmed. That of a British billionaire, on the other hand, was relayed by his family.
A tourist submarine is missing off the east coast of North America near the wreck of the Titanic. The information was confirmed by the Boston Coast Guard according to information from BBC News.
The American company that operates this tourist expedition, OceanGate, said “explore and mobilize all options” to retrieve the crew and passengers aboard the submersible. The number of occupants was not specified, but the OceanGate submersible can carry five people, including three paying passengers. “We are working on the safe return of crew members” the company told the BBC, explaining that it had received offers of assistance from government agencies and deep sea exploration companies.
3800 meters deep
Small submersibles occasionally take (very expensive) paying tourists and experts to visit the wreck of the Titanic. OceanGate Expeditions offers trips in a carbon fiber submersible, the Titan, a “chance to get out of everyday life and discover something truly extraordinary”. She recently posted on her social media that one of her expeditions was underway.
A Frenchman is part of the OceanGate expedition, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 76, one of the world’s leading specialists in Titanic. As of this writing, we have no confirmation that he was on board the submarine when it went missing. He told relatives before his departure that “not trust this new submarine in composite material with a 60 cm porthole, but go there anyway for the beauty of the expedition.Paul-Henri Nargeolet is the man in the yellow jacket on the tweet below, where the two crews of this expedition appear.
On Instagram, British billionaire Hamish Harding testified the day before that he was going to dive today towards the Titanic with OceanGate, stating that “legendary explorers, like PH Nargeolet” were part of the submersible’s crew. According Sky News, he would be among those present in the missing submersible. Information relayed by his family on Facebook.
The uncertified submersible
The craft built by OceanGate had not been certified by any official authority, such as Lloyd’s Register, the American Bureau of Shipping, or Bureau Veritas. The operator justifies this lack of certification by the fact that its submersible was so innovative, with a carbon fiber hull replacing steel to withstand the pressure of great depths, that it did not fit into the usual frameworks of the shipbuilding industry.
Several specialists joined by the Figaro claim that it is still possible to find survivors. According to OceanGate, the Titan submersible’s onboard system has an energy and oxygen autonomy of 96 hours, for a crew of 5 people. But there are less than a dozen devices in the world capable of diving to a depth of 4000 meters, including the Nautile of Ifremer, which greatly restricts the chances of a rescue at such depths.
We can see on social networks a photo published on June 15, gathering the members of missions 3 and 4 before their departure. The company charges customers $250,000 (€230,000) for a place on its 8-day expedition, departing from St John’s in Canada to view the wreck of the Titanic.
The submarine can accommodate five people, according to the company, including a pilot, three tourists and an expert guide. The dive to the wreck, at 3800 m depth, would last about eight hours.
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