A British billionaire explorer and a renowned French diver are feared to be on board the missing Titanic tourist submarine somewhere in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.
Hamish Harding, who has previously travelled on the Challenger Deep to the bottom of the ocean and on Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin into space, took to Facebook on Saturday to announce that he was joining OceanGate Expeditions for its Titanic mission this week.
On the submarine is reportedly French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, CBC News was told by Titanic expert Larry Daley.
A search and rescue operation is underway after a submarine used to take tourists to visit the Titanic wreckage went missing in the Atlantic Ocean.
On Monday afternoon, Rear Adm John Mauger of the US Coast Guard said: “We anticipate there is somewhere between 70 and the full 96 hours available at this point.”
OceanGate Expeditions, a company offering eight-day missions to see the Titanic debris at a cost of $250,000 per person, confirmed on Monday that its submarine was lost at sea with crew members on board.
The company said in a statement that it is “exploring and mobilizing all options to bring the crew back safely.”
Key points
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Titanic tourist submarine with five people onboard missing in Atlantic Ocean
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Last communication sent out from just above Titanic wreckage
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Missing submarine had only 96 hours of air
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British Navy expert warns ‘timescale’ of missing sub is ‘very concerning’
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Where is the Titanic wreckage?
Dawood family releases statement about missing father and son
09:38 , Rachel Sharp
The Dawood family has released a statement about the father and son missing on board the submersible in the Atlantic Ocean.
“We are very grateful for the concern being shown by our colleagues and friends and would like to request everyone to pray for their safety,” the family said.
Shahzada Dawood, a 48-year-old businessman and one of the richest people in Pakistan, and his son Sulaiman Dawood, 19, were confirmed to be on board the vessel missing in the ocean during a failed trip to visit the wreckage of the Titanic.
Writer who took Titanic submersible trip last year says he’s ‘not optimistic’
09:31 , Tara Cobham
A writer who took the Titanic submersible trip last year said he is “not optimistic” over the search for the missing OceanGate craft.
Mike Reiss told BBC Breakfast communication was also lost during his dive down to the Titanic.
Mr Reiss said: “I’m not optimistic just because I know the logistics of it. And I know really again, how vast the ocean is, and how very tiny the craft is.
He added: “So the idea is, if it’s down at the bottom, I don’t know how anyone’s going to be able to access it, much less bring it back up.
“There is a hope that it’s at, or near, the surface.
“I did three separate dives. I did one dive to the Titanic and two more off the coast of New York.
“Every time they lost communication and again, this is not a shoddy ship or anything.”
Expert on Titanic history ‘very worried about souls’ on board
09:10 , Tara Cobham
An expert on the history of the Titanic has said he is “very worried about the souls” on board the missing submersible.
Tim Maltin, an author, historian and TV presenter said the tourists were in a difficult situation.
Mr Maltin said on BBC Breakfast: “If it’s near the Titanic it would be easier to find, but the problem is of course you can’t do a ship-to-ship transfer even, the pressure is absolutely intense.
“It’s nearly two miles miles down, it’s pitch black.
“So I also am very, very worried about the souls who are on board.”
He added: “I think they’re quite brave people who have been down there, but equally they know the risks but no one expects it to go wrong on your dive.”
Map of the location of the Titanic shipwreck
09:01 , Graeme Massie
Rescue operation will be very difficult due to depth of water – MOD
08:50 , Tara Cobham
A rescue operation will be very difficult due to the depth of the water that the vessel is in, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) told The Independent.
While the UK has not been approached to assist, the MOD said initial reports indicate that the depths of water involved greatly exceed that which the NSRS Nato Submarine Rescue System can safely operate.
Navy expert warn ‘timescale’ of missing Titanic sub is ‘very concerning
08:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
’A former British Navy officer has warned that the “timescale” of the missing Titanic submersible is “very concerning” – as it emerged that there has been no sign of life from the vessel for the past several hours.
Former Rear Admiral Chris Parry told Sky News that the OceanGate Expeditions vessel could have fallen foul of a “catastrophic failure” or even have become tangled up in the debris of the famed shipwreck.
“It’s very concerning indeed,” he said.“Having listened to the timescale it’s very worrying.”
Rachel Sharp reports.
British Navy expert warns ‘timescale’ of missing Titanic sub is ‘very concerning’
UK has not been approached to assist rescue operation, says MOD
08:30 , Tara Cobham
The UK has not been approached to offer assistance to the rescue operation, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has said.
A MOD spokesperson said: “As the host nation for NATO’s multinational submarine rescue capability, we continue to monitor the incident in the North Atlantic and will guide and assist in any response activity as appropriate.”
OceanGate Expeditions uses Elon Musk’s Starlink to maintain communications
08:00 , Ariana Baio
OceanGate Expeditions uses Elon Musk’s Starlink to maintain communications while out in the ocean, the company revealed last month.
“Despite being in the middle of the North Atlantic, we have the internet connection we need to make our #Titanic dive operations a success – thank you @Starlink!” the company tweeted.
Possible scenarios that could have played after submersible went missing
07:36 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Alistair Greig, a professor of marine engineering at University College London, said submersibles typically have a drop weight, which is “a mass they can release in the case of an emergency to bring them up to the surface using buoyancy.”
“If there was a power failure and/or communication failure, this might have happened, and the submersible would then be bobbing about on the surface waiting to be found,” Mr Greig said.
Another scenario is a leak in the pressure hull, in which case the prognosis is not good, he said.
“If it has gone down to the seabed and can’t get back up under its own power, options are very limited,” he said.
“While the submersible might still be intact, if it is beyond the continental shelf, there are very few vessels that can get that deep, and certainly not divers.”
Even if they could go that deep, he doubts they could attach to the hatch of OceanGate’s submersible.
WATCH: First full-size scan of Titanic shipwreck
07:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Watch: First full-size scan of Titanic reveals haunting new details of shipwreck
Aircraft pressed into action to search sea surface
07:22 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The US coast guard has dispatched a ship and a C-130 airplane that is equipped with radar to search from above the submersible that went missing with five people on board.
Commercial vessels in that region of the Atlantic have been notified to be on the lookout, the authorities said.
The Canadian coast guard and Canadian armed forces have also deployed their assets, including a C-130 aircraft and a P-8 plane, designed to search for submarines.
Stephen Bornais, a spokesperson for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, said an additional Canadian force fixed-wing aircraft along with a coast guard ship have been dispatched for the operation.
PICTURED: What OceanGate’s submarines look like:
07:03 , Graeme Massie
The Titan submersible
06:55 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Submersible made of titanium and filament wound carbon fibre
06:37 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The submersible, named Titan, is capable of diving 4,000 metres or 13,120 feet “with a comfortable safety margin”, according to its operator OceanGate Expeditions.
The sub weighs 9,072kg in the air, but is ballasted to be neutrally buoyant once it reaches the seafloor, the company said in its filing.
The Titan is made of “titanium and filament wound carbon fiber” and has proven to “withstand the enormous pressures of the deep ocean”, the company stated.
OceanGate told the court that Titan’s viewport is “the largest of any deep diving submersible” and that its technology provides an “unrivaled view” of the deep ocean.
In a May 2021 court filing, OceanGate said the Titan had an “unparalleled safety feature” that assesses the integrity of the hull throughout every dive.
At the time of the filing, Titan had undergone more than 50 test dives, including to the equivalent depth of the Titanic, in deep waters off the Bahamas and in a pressure chamber, the company said.
During its expedition in 2022, OceanGate reported that the submersible had a battery issue on its first dive, and had to be manually attached to its lifting platform, according to a November court filing.
“In the high sea state, the submersible sustained modest damage to its external components and OceanGate decided to cancel the second mission for repairs and operational enhancements,” the filing stated.
More missions, however, followed, with 28 people visiting the wreck site last year.
WATCH: Former Rear Admiral Chris Parry says ‘timescale’ of missing sub is ‘very worrying’
06:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Missing Titanic submarine: Crew confirmed to be on board $250,000-a-trip vessel lost in Atlantic
06:00 , Ariana Baio
A search is under way for a submersible which has gone missing in the Atlantic Ocean while taking visitors on tours of the Titanic wreck.
Lieutenant Jordan Hart of the US Coast Guard in Boston told CBS News there is a “search and rescue operation” underway off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, said a Canadian military aircraft and a Canadian Coast Guard vessel are assisting the search.
Ariana Baio reports:
Crew confirmed to be aboard $250,000-a-trip Titanic sub lost in Atlantic
Inventor Stockton Rush assured him sub was ‘rock solid’, says passenger
05:25 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
CBS journalist David Pogue, who went on board the Titan submersible last year, said that he was reassured the vessel was “rock solid” by its inventor.
“It is one of a kind submersible with five-inch thick carbon fibre,” he said.“I have to admit I had some qualms getting on that thing. A lot of the components were off the shelf, improvised. For example, you steer this sub with a game controller.
“The chief executive and inventor of the sub, Stockton Rush, reassured me that all the stuff may be improvised but the part you care about the capsule, the container that contains people and oxygen, was codesigned with Nasa and the University of Washington and it is rock solid.”
Titanic: ‘They should have surfaced a few hours ago,’ says Harding’s friend
05:09 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding would be calm and work with the crew, said his friend Jannicke Mikkelsen.
“Every single expedition is dangerous and that is something Hamish taught me. It is why I started the expedition,” she told News Nation.
“Every expedition has a possibility of death,” she added.
“I know Hamish would be calm and they would work together. Every single expedition would have a checklist of options.
“My fear is that… they should have surfaced a few hours ago but they didn’t. That is scary.”
OceanGate Expeditions uses Elon Musk’s Starlink to maintain communications in ocean
05:05 , Graeme Massie
OceanGate Expeditions uses Elon Musk’s Starlink to maintain communications while out in the ocean, the company revealed last month.
“Despite being in the middle of the North Atlantic, we have the internet connection we need to make our #Titanic dive operations a success – thank you @Starlink!” the company tweeted.
British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding feared among the missing on Titanic tourist submarine
05:00 , Ariana Baio
A British billionaire explorer is on board the missing Titanic tourist submarine somewhere in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.
Hamish Harding, who has previously travelled on the Challenger Deep to the bottom of the ocean, took to Facebook on Saturday to announce that he was joining OceanGate Expeditions for its Titanic mission this week.
“I am proud to finally announce that I joined OceanGate Expeditions for their RMS TITANIC Mission as a mission specialist on the sub going down to the Titanic. Due to the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years, this mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023,” he wrote, alongside an image of him signing a card reading Titanic Mission V.
Rachel Sharp reports:
British billionaire explorer feared among the missing on Titanic tourist submarine
Why adventurers flocked to take OceanGate’s $250k Titantic expedition
04:56 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
A massive marine search and rescue operation is underway for a missing tourist sub that disappeared on an expedition to view the Titanic wreckage.
British billionaire Hamish Harding, OceanGate Expeditions chief executive Stockton Rush and renowned French underwater explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet are feared to be among those onboard.
The company, which charges up to $250,000 to take guests to the Titanic site, has said it is “working toward the safe return of the crewmembers”.Renata Rojas, who was one of the passengers onboard the 2022 expedition, told The Independent in an interview that seeing the Titanic up close was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.
“You’re feeling overwhelmed the entire time, not only because [of] just the fact that you were there … [but] as we were approaching the wreck, I was wowed. That was the feeling,” she said. Ms Rojas is currently on the Polar Prince.
Bevan Hurley reports.
Why adventurers flocked to OceanGate’s $250k Titantic expedition before tragedy hit
Who is British billionaire Hamish Harding?
04:46 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Hamish Harding was one of the mission specialists, according to Action Aviation, a company for which Mr Harding serves as chair.
The company’s managing director, Mark Butler, told the AP that the crew set out on Friday.
“There is still plenty of time to facilitate a rescue mission, there is equipment on board for survival in this event,” Mr Butler said, adding: “We’re all hoping and praying he comes back safe and sound.”
Mr Harding is a billionaire adventurer who holds three Guinness World Records, including the longest duration at full ocean depth by a crewed vessel.
In March 2021, he and ocean explorer Victor Vescovo dived to the lowest depth of the Mariana Trench. In June 2022, he went into space on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket.
Missing submarine had only 96 hours of air
04:29 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
David Concannon, an adviser to OceanGate, said the submersible had a 96-hour oxygen supply starting at roughly 6am Sunday.
Mr Concannon told Associated Press that he was supposed to be on the dive but could not go due to another client matter.
He said officials were working to get a remotely operated vehicle that can reach a depth of 6,000 meters (about 20,000 feet) to the site as soon as possible.
OceanGate’s expeditions to the Titanic wreck site include archaeologists and marine biologists. The company also brings people who pay to come along, known as “mission specialists”.
The Coast Guard yesterday said there was one pilot and four “mission specialists” aboard.
Last communication sent out from just above Titanic wreckage – report
04:15 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The missing tourist submarine with five people on board, including British billionaire Hamish Harding, sent out its last communication while it was directly over the wreckage of the Titanic.
The crew lost communication with the submersible’s mothership MV Polar Prince an hour and 45 minutes into the two-hour descent, the Daily Mail reported.
The sub has enough oxygen to last underwater until 12pm local time on Thursday.
The Titanic submersible, named Titan, communicates by sending a ping to the Polar Prince every 15 minutes, which was last received while the submersible floated above the wreckage at about 3pm local time.
According to the report, a distress call was sent to the US Coast Guard at 9pm, whose Boston branch is leading the rescue operation.
British Navy expert warns ‘timescale’ of missing Titanic sub is ‘very concerning’
04:05 , Graeme Massie
A former British Navy officer has warned that the “timescale” of the missing Titanic submersible is “very concerning” – as it emerged that there has been no sign of life from the vessel for the past seven hours.
Former Rear Admiral Chris Parry told Sky News that the OceanGate Expeditions vessel could have fallen foul of a “catastrophic failure” or even have become tangled up in the debris of the famed shipwreck.
“It’s very concerning indeed,” he said.
“Having listened to the timescale it’s very worrying.”
Read the full story here:
British Navy expert warns ‘timescale’ of missing Titanic sub is ‘very concerning’
British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding feared among the missing on Titanic tourist submarine
03:02 , Graeme Massie
A British billionaire explorer is on board the missing Titanic tourist submarine somewhere in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.
Hamish Harding, who has previously travelled on the Challenger Deep to the bottom of the ocean, took to Facebook on Saturday to announce that he was joining OceanGate Expeditions for its Titanic mission this week.
Rachel Sharp reports:
British billionaire explorer feared among the missing on Titanic tourist submarine
IN PICTURES: The Titanic wreckage
02:15 , Graeme Massie
Diver reveals he was supposed to be on missing expedition
01:46 , Graeme Massie
Lawyer David Concannon was set to be aboard the OceanGate Expeditions submersible but had to pull out because of professional commitments.
“Dear Friends, Re: Titanic. As I posted last week I was supposed to be on this expedition and, indeed, on this dive, but I had to cancel to attend to another urgent client matter. Last night, I was called and asked to provide whatever assistance I could to ensure the safe return of everyone in the sub. Of course, I immediately agreed,” he wrote on Facebook.
Irish diver Rory Golden on surface ship of missing submarine
01:14 , Graeme Massie
“Im OK. We are all focussed on board here for our friends,” wrote Mr Golden, the first Irish diver to reach the Titanic, on Facebook.
And he added: “We have a situation that is now the part of a major Search and Rescue effort, being undertaken by major agencies. That is where our focus is right now. The reaction and offers of help globally is truly astonishing, and only goes to show the real goodness in people at a time like this.”
Mr Golden finished his post by saying: “Thank you all, and think positive. We are.”
US lawmaker calls for Navy nuclear submarine to join search
Monday 19 June 2023 23:55 , Graeme Massie
Rep Brandon Williams, a Republican from New York, is a former Navy submariner himself.
“Don’t wait, get the best sonar operators in the world in a position to help rescue the lost submersible and its crew, while there is still hope,” he wrote on Twitter.
Canadian military deploys aircraft to help in search
Monday 19 June 2023 23:40 , Graeme Massie
“A Royal Canadian Air Force CC-130 Hercules is preparing to join the search as well,” Len Hickey, a senior public affairs officer for the Canadian Armed Forces, told CNN.
Titanic expert ‘very hopeful’ that submarine will be found
Monday 19 June 2023 23:16 , Graeme Massie
Larry Daley told Canada’s NTV Evening News that although deep submersible diving was dangerous, the technology had improved in recent years.
“Deep submersible diving is very dangerous, but it’s very hi-tech. And as each year goes by, the equipment gets better, the technology gets better,” he said. “So, I’m very hopeful. I’m very positive.”
Second submarine passenger named
Monday 19 June 2023 23:16 , Graeme Massie
Titanic expert Larry Daley, who is a St John’s-based diver told CBC News that one of the other members of the expedition is French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
Mr Nargolet spent 25 years in the French navy and worked with Mr Daley on his first Titanic dive 20 years ago.
Where is the Titanic wreckage?
Monday 19 June 2023 23:00 , Ariana Baio
The RMS Titanic’s final resting spot is approximately 370 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada in the North Atlantic Ocean. It sank in 1912, killing approximately 1,500 people on board. Its coordinates are 41º43’32”N, 49º56’49”W.
Graig Graziosi reports:
Where is the Titanic wreckage?
Hamish Harding talks of bad weather in Instagram post before submarine went missing
Monday 19 June 2023 22:46 , Graeme Massie
“Due to the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years, this mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023. A weather window has just opened up and we are going to attempt a dive tomorrow,” he wrote on the platform.
“We started steaming from St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada yesterday and are planning to start dive operations around 4am tomorrow morning. Until then we have a lot of preparations and briefings to do.”
Five people aboard missing submersible have 70 to 96 hours of oxygen left
Monday 19 June 2023 22:30 , Ariana Baio
The five people aboard the missing submersible in the North Atlantic Ocean have an estimated 70 to 96 hours of emergency oxygen left in their watercraft, the US Coast Guard said in a press conference on Monday afternoon.
The submersible went missing on Sunday morning shortly after it submerged while on an excursion to the Titanic wreckage.
The US and Canadian Coast Guard and deploying resources to quickly find the people aboard in the amount of time they estimate they have until it becomes a possibly fatal situation.
The watercraft has an estimated 96 hours of emergency oxygen left and Rear Admiral John Mauger believes the people inside the sub have anywhere from 70 to 96 hours left.
Coast Guard cannot identify members on board
Monday 19 June 2023 22:15 , Ariana Baio
Rear Admiral John Mauger, commander of the First US Coast Guard District and lead on the search and rescue mission said they were not in a position to formally identify the members on board the submersible.
“Our thoughts are with the crew members and the families of those onboard the submersible,” Mr Mauger said in a press conference on Monday.
He added: “We are doing everything that we can do to make sure that we can locate and rescue those on board”
What is OceanGate Expeditions?
Monday 19 June 2023 22:00 , Ariana Baio
OceanGate Expeditions was founded in Washington state in 2009 by US adventurer and former investment banker Stockton Rush.
The trained aerospace engineer began offering underwater tours in specially designed submersible vessels that were developed with NASA.
In an interview with The Independent in 2017, he said he had originally wanted to become an astronaut but was later drawn to underwater exploration.
“In the vacuum of space, by definition there is nothing. That means a great view, but the final frontier for new life forms and discovery is undersea – for the next 200-300 years at least.”
Bevan Hurley reports:
What is OceanGate Expeditions? Company offering Titanic tours searches for vessel
Numerous resources deployed in search of missing submersible
Monday 19 June 2023 21:54 , Ariana Baio
The US Coast Guard said they have deployed numerous aircrafts and surface-level devices to search for the missing submersible in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Rear Admiral John Mauger, commander of the First US Coast Guard District and lead on the search and rescue operation said the US deployed two C-130 aircrafts with another from New York on the way and Canada sent a C-130 and P8 aircraft.
Because the submersible could be on the surface or underwater, the Coast Guard has also deployed sonar buoys that can detect activity beneath the surface.
Several ships looking for the missing submersible also are equipped with the technology.
Aircrafts currently searching for missing submersible
Monday 19 June 2023 21:30 , Ariana Baio
The US Coast Guard said two different aircrafts, equipped with underwater sonar capabilities, were searching for the missing submersible watercraft.
“Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, C-130 Hercules aircraft, as well as a Canadian P8 aircraft equipped with underwater sonar capability, are currently searching for the missing submersible,” the 1st District Northeast said in a press release.
The Coast Guard said it would be holding a news conference at 4.30pm.
In Photos: US Coast Guard searches for missing submersible
Monday 19 June 2023 21:15 , Ariana Baio
WATCH: Ex-British Navy officer reveals ‘concerning timescales’ of missing Titanic sub
Monday 19 June 2023 21:00 , Ariana Baio
OceanGate submersible missing since Sunday morning
Monday 19 June 2023 20:45 , Ariana Baio
The US Coast Guard said on Monday (19 June) that the submersible from OceanGate lost communication with its surface ship, the Polar Prince, just an hour and 45 minutes into its submerging on Sunday (18 June).
The 1st District Northeast US Coast Guard, based out of Boston, said they were searching for a “21-foot submersible” with a five-person crew.
“The crew of the Polar Prince lost contact with them approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes into the vessel’s dive.”
Submersible has 96 hours of oxygen
Monday 19 June 2023 20:30 , Ariana Baio
As the US Coast Guard conducts search and rescue efforts for the missing submersible near the Titanic wreckage, people anxiously await updates as the watercraft has only 96 hours of oxygen to keep crew members inside alive.
Rear Adm John Mauger, the US Coast Guard 1st District Commander, told Fox News on Monday (19 June) that the amount of oxygen inside the watercraft “gives us some time to continue searching and continue using all our means to try and locate the crew members.”
It is unclear how long the submersible has been missing in total.
When the watercraft was first declared missing on Monday morning, reports said it had last established contact seven hours earlier.
Mr Mauger said searching for the sub would be difficult because it is near the site of the Titanic wreckage.
“There’s a lot of debris on the bottom, and locating an object on the bottom will be difficult,” Mr Mauger said. “We have lives that are potentially at risk.”
Second submersible being brought in to search for missing watercraft
Monday 19 June 2023 20:15 , Ariana Baio
A second submersible is being flown into the North Atlantic Ocean near Canada to help search for the OceanGate Expedition submersible that has been missing for several hours.
Chief Mi’sel Joe, head of the Mi’kmaq band, told CBC that he has been receiving consistent updates on the situation because he owns the place where the missing submersible launched.
“Your mind wanders to what could have happened, but we just don’t know,” Chief Joe said. We just pray that everyone is ok.”
The second submersible will help try to locate the first one which may have up to five crew members aboard.
US Coast Guard searching for sub 900 miles off coast of Cape Code
Monday 19 June 2023 19:15 , Ariana Baio
The US Coast Guard tweeted that some of their crew is currently searching for an “overdue Canadian research submarine” approximately 900 miles from Cape Code, Massachusettes.
The Titanic shipwreck is located approximately 1,000 miles from Cape Cod in the North Atlanic Ocean.
READ MORE: Woman who completed lifelong dream to explore Titanic says she ‘lost it’ afterwards
Monday 19 June 2023 18:30 , Rachel Sharp
In September, The Independent’s Sheila Flynn spoke to Renata Rojas about how she finally ended up visiting the famed Titanic wreck at its underwater grave after a near lifelong obsession – and what the surreal journey was actually like.
Read the interview here:
Woman who completed lifelong dream to explore Titanic says she ‘lost it’ afterwards
How much does a visit to the Titanic wreckage cost?
Monday 19 June 2023 18:00 , Rachel Sharp
OceanGates Expeditions offers tourist trips down to the Titanic wreckage at a cost of $250,000.
The cost covers training and an eight-day deep sea expedition to visit the wreckage.
The submersible fits five people and can reach depths of 4,000 metres.
The company describes the trip as a “chance to step outside of everyday life and discover something truly extraordinary”.
OceanGate Expeditions’ subs carry up to five people
Monday 19 June 2023 17:45 , Rachel Sharp
OceanGate Expeditions offers trips for tourists at a cost of around $250,000.
Last year, CEO Stockton Rush told CBC that the subs can hold up to five people.
“Titan is the only five-person sub capable of going to the Titanic depth, which is half the depth of the ocean,” he said.
“There’s no switches and things to bump into, we have one button to turn it on. Everything else is done with touch screens and computers, and so you really become part of the vehicle and everybody gets to know everyone pretty well.”
Submarine crew have made no contact for past 7 hours
Monday 19 June 2023 17:30 , Rachel Sharp
The crew on board the missing submarine have made no contact with dry land for the past 7 hours, according to Sky News.
The submersible operates by being launched from a mother ship which then later recovers it at the end of its mission.
It usually sends signals to its mother ship every 15 minutes.
But, no signals have been received for more than seven hours.
Unknown number of crew members on board missing sub
Monday 19 June 2023 16:45 , Rachel Sharp
OceanGate has confirmed that the submarine was manned at the time of its disappearance in the ocean.
The company said in a statement that it is “exploring and mobilizing all options to bring the crew back safely”.
The exact number of people on board the missing vessel remains unclear. It is also unclear if they are all crew members or if some are paying tourists.
The submarines carry up to five people at a time.
OceanGate Expedition confirms their sub is missing
Monday 19 June 2023 16:35 , Rachel Sharp
OceanGate Expedition has confirmed that it is their submarine at the centre of the rescue mission in the Atlantic Ocean and that an unknown number of crew members are on board.
The company said in a statement to CBS News that it is “exploring and mobilizing all options to bring the crew back safely.”
“Our entire focus is on the crewmembers in the submersible and their families,” it said OceanGate, adding that it is “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.”
What happened to the Titanic?
Monday 19 June 2023 16:15 , Rachel Sharp
The Titanic, operated by the White Star Line, sank on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic Ocean back in 1912.
The ship – the largest at the time – set sail from Southampton, UK, on 10 April 1912, with more than 2,200 passengers and crew on board.
Five days into its voyage, the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the ocean.
More than 1,500 people died.
Where is the Titanic wreckage?
Monday 19 June 2023 15:30 , Rachel Sharp
The wreckage of the Titanic now lies around 12,500 feet at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
It is roughly 370 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
What we know so far:
Monday 19 June 2023 15:25 , Rachel Sharp
A search and rescue operation is under way in the Atlantic Ocean after a submersible used to take tourists to visit the Titanic wreckage went missing.
The Boston Coast Guard told the BBC on Monday morning that it is currently searching for the vessel.
It is not clear how many people may be on board the craft or when the last contact was made with it.
Titanic tourist submarine goes missing in the Atlantic Ocean
Monday 19 June 2023 15:19 , Rachel Sharp
A submersible used to take visitors on a tour of the Titanic wreck has gone missing in the Atlantic Ocean, the 1st District Northeast Coast Guard told the BBC on Monday.
Small submersibles, or watercrafts designed to operate underwater that may be different from a submarine, often take visitors on tours of the famous shipwreck.
The Titanic shipwreck sits 12,500 feet at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 370 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
Read more here:
Titanic tourist sub goes missing in the Atlantic Ocean
Welcome to The Independent’s liveblog
Monday 19 June 2023 15:18 , Rachel Sharp
Follow live updates about the missing Titanic tourist submarine as search and rescue mission under way