This is a nightmare scenario for adventure and history enthusiasts! The Titanic submersible, which was exploring the wreck of the Titanic, has vanished in the North Atlantic, carrying five people on board. Their remaining time for rescue is rapidly dwindling!
The Mysterious Disappearance
OceanGate Expeditions, a company that offers exclusive tours to the Titanic site for a whopping $125,000 per person, owns and operates the sub named Titan.The sub can dive up to 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) and carry up to five passengers and a pilot.
The Titan was on its third dive of the season on Sunday when it lost contact with the surface ship. The last communication from the sub was at 9:40 a.m. ET when it reported that it had reached the Titanic and was starting to explore the debris field.
Since then, nothing. Nada. Zilch.
The U.S. Coast Guard has launched a massive search and rescue operation.the U.S. Navy, the Canadian Coast Guard, and other agencies. They have scoured more than 10,000 square miles of ocean, but so far, they have found no signs of the sub or its occupants.
The situation is dire because the sub only has enough oxygen to last until Thursday morning.That leaves them with less than 24 hours to find and bring them back to the surface!
But there is a glimmer of hope. On Tuesday and Wednesday, a Canadian aircraft with sonar capabilities detected some underwater noises near the area where the sub went missing.Observers described the noises as “banging” sounds that occurred at 30-minute intervals.
Could it be a distress signal from the sub? Or is it something else?
The U.S. Navy is analyzing the sounds to determine their origin, while remotely operated vehicles and ships with sonar are focusing on the area where the noises were heard.
The Brave Souls on Board
But who are these brave (or foolish) souls who decided to take this risky trip to the bottom of the sea?
Well, we have some tea for you!
According to various reports, the five people on board are:
1. Hamish Harding
Hamish Harding, a British billionaire and adventurer who holds several world records for flying around the world in different ways. He is also a trustee of Action for Happiness, a charity that promotes well-being and happiness. How ironic!
2. Paul-Henri Nargeolet
Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a French diver and director of a deep ocean research project dedicated to the Titanic. He has visited the Titanic more than 30 times and has recovered thousands of artifacts from the shipwreck.Many consider him to be one of the world’s leading experts on the Titanic
3. Zafar Abbas and Ali Abbas
a Pakistani father and son who are both avid divers and explorers. Zafar Abbas is a former naval officer and a businessman who runs a diving center in Karachi. Ali Abbas is a student at Stanford University who has a passion for marine biology and conservation.
4. Stockton Rush
Stockton Rush, the chief executive of OceanGate and pilot of the Titan submersible. He is also the husband of Wendy Rush, who is reportedly a descendant of one of the wealthiest couples to die on the Titanic in 1912. Talk about a family curse!
