Titanic Missing Submersible: What Happened to Crew Members?

June 27, 2023 by No Comments

The Titanic is a famous ship that sank on April 15, 1912. The Titanic ship’s remaining has become a hotspot for exploring.

This exploring enthusiast has led a party of five individuals onboard a submersible. Unfortunately, they have gone missing while exploring the Titanic debris. The intended plan was for the Titan submarine to make a 10-hour round journey to the Titanic site. Despite days of searches, they have yet to find the Titan submarine. The submersible has enough oxygen to live, but time is running out to discover any survivors.

OceanGate Expeditions planned the trip, which cost $250,000 per participant. The mission began in Newfoundland and traveled 400 nautical miles. The crash site is located around 900 miles (1,450 kilometers) off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Likewise, the submarine descended to the Titanic ruins on Sunday, June 18. However, after 1 hour and 45 minutes of descent, it lost touch with its backup ship, the Polar Prince. They launched the search right away.

A Submersible that went missing
A Submersible that went missing (OceanGate Expeditions)

The circumstances behind the submersible’s disappearance, and why it lost touch remain unclear. Additionally, the submersible’s vicinity to the Titanic at the time of its disappearance is also unclear. When authorities heard pounding noises on Tuesday, it gave them hope that there could be survivors. They were unable to pinpoint the source or cause of the noises by Wednesday.

OceanGate stated to CBS News that they believe Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood, Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet were tragically killed. The firm recognized these individuals’ adventurous and passionate natures. They acknowledged them as real explorers who shared a profound dedication to discovering and conserving the world’s seas.

Who Was on Board?

Action Aviation’s chairman, Hamish Harding, was a British businessman who sold planes to high-profile clientele. Aside from his financial efforts, Harding was known for his daring exploits. He held a number of Guinness World Records, including the fastest circumnavigation of the Earth via both geographic poles. Before the Titanic trip, he stated on Facebook that the mission was likely to be the sole manned voyage to the Titanic in 2023. The reason cited for this was challenging weather circumstances that would hinder any further manned expeditions.

Shahzada Dawood, 48, was the vice chairman of Dawood Hercules, a Karachi-based investment and holding business. Likewise, Suleman Dawood 19 years old, Shahzada Dawood’s son was with him on the debris. His son was a science fiction fan who loved solving Rubik’s Cubes and playing volleyball, according to sources. The Dawood family issued a statement thanking everyone for their concern. They also requested prayers for the safety of everyone involved in the situation.

Another person on board was Paul-Henri Nargeolet a famous Titanic scholar. He had led many journeys to the crash site and was dubbed Titanic’s Greatest Explorer. He was also the director of underwater research for RMS Titanic, an American organization that owns the site and operates displays displaying Titanic relics. For three decades, Nargeolet had worked closely with G. Michael Harris, the founder of the RMS Titanic.

The last person to join them on the board was Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate. He had an impressive resume, having become the youngest person to achieve a jet transport-rated pilot rank at the age of 19. Rush co-founded OceanGate in 2009 and is responsible for the company’s financial and engineering initiatives. Rush previously stated that OceanGate had yet to earn a profit owing to the hefty expenditures.

Titanic Movie Director James Cameroon’s Say to The Incident

James Cameron, the director of the superhit movie Titanic stated his fears about the Titan submersible’s implosion and its potential influence on citizen explorers. In an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Cameron acknowledged the sincerity and interest of those who are willing to invest substantial amounts of money in exploring exotic areas.

He underlined the necessity of encouraging such exploration while also implying that the experience serves as a lesson. Cameron stated that he first learned about the Titan submersible news on Monday. He then contacted a close-knit group within the deep submergence profession and determined that the submersible had lost communication and tracking capabilities within a few hours.

Cameron emphasized the need for certification and attention to safety requirements when operating any vehicle, whether an airplane, surface vessel, or submersible. Additionally, he emphasized the importance of certifying organizations inspecting these cars to ensure their safety.

How Much Time Do They Have? Are They Alive?

Recent news sources have established that OceanGate Expeditions’ Titan submarine experienced a catastrophic implosion in the Atlantic Ocean. On June 18, the submarine set off on an excursion to survey the Titanic’s wreckage, but it lost contact barely two hours later. A famous Titanic specialist, a world record-holding explorer, two members of a rich Pakistani family, and the company’s CEO were among the passengers.

According to reports, individuals operated the Titan submarine, which was part of a lavish trip costing $250,000 per person, using a video game controller. Online videos depict the journey being controlled with an F710 controller, which is commonly used for gaming consoles and PCs.

Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a former French navy commander and noted Titanic specialist, was among those confirmed deceased in the implosion. Over the course of several decades, he had made multiple journeys to the ruins, performing 37 dives and supervising the recovery of 5,000 items. Likewise, Nargeolet allegedly appears in a viral video, waving and smiling aboard a ship. The video claims to show his final footage before he deployed the Titan submarine to explore the Titanic ruins.

Hence, the coast guards engaged in the search have decided that the submersible passengers are not alive at the moment. This judgment is based on a number of criteria, including the amount of time since the submersible lost contact, the projected length of the oxygen supply. Additionally, reports of an explosion following the loss of communication contribute to the assessment. Due to these circumstances, officials assume that the reduced oxygen supply has significantly diminished the inhabitants’ chances of survival.

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