Search and rescue operations were underway Monday after a submarine used by tourists to tour the Titanic wreck went missing in the North Atlantic, according to media reports.
of BBC The Boston Coast Guard is conducting a search and rescue operation for a submarine off the coast of Newfoundland, eastern Canada.
The Guardian reported that the Coast Guard “identified a small submarine.” 5 people on board He had gone missing near the wreck of the Titanic. The media reported that the submarine is operated by Oceangate Expeditions, which offers visits to the Titanic wreck.
The Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Halifax, Nova Scotia, received a call Sunday at 9:13 p.m. said. Hickey said the submarine lost contact with surface vessels.
The JRCC provided a six-wing aircraft and a Canadian Coast Guard vessel to support the search.
Hickey was unable to provide further information and referred additional questions to the Boston Coast Guard, which is leading the effort.
The Titanic, which sank in 1912, lies about 13,000 feet deep in the Atlantic Ocean, about 400 nautical miles off the coast of Newfoundland.
according to Ocean Gate websiteIt worked intermittently on Monday, with a deep sea voyage underway to see the Titanic wreck. The company has confirmed to the BBC that it owned the missing vessel.
“We are fully mobilizing and considering all options to bring the crew back safely,” the company said in a statement. “We are committed to our submarine crew and their families.”
Representatives of the US Coast Guard and Boston Coast Guard did not immediately respond to repeated requests for comment. A representative for Oceangate Expeditions also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to its website, ocean gate is a privately owned company in Everett, Washington, founded in 2009, that operates three five-passenger submersibles for “fieldwork, scientific research, filmmaking, and expedition travel.” The company says its vessels can reach depths of about 13,123 feet.
The company offers a seven-night, eight-day voyage to the Titanic wreck, according to its website. The site says it will cost about $250,000.
“Be one of the few who can see the Titanic with your own eyes,” the company says on its Titanic Expedition page.
The journey takes you to and from St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, and takes the “intrepid traveler” aboard a submersible called “Titan” to explore the Titanic wreck site. The website says diving expeditions can start as early as day three. According to the website, the Titan can carry up to five people.
The website says no prior diving experience is required, but details some physical requirements, including being able to ride in a small boat in rough waters and being able to sit for long periods of time. The website also says that explorers must be at least 18 years old.
The company said on its website that those leaving for the expedition will receive a ship orientation and safety briefing after boarding.
The Titanic is a British luxury liner that made its maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York on April 10, 1912 with 2,227 passengers and crew on board. However, the world’s largest ship at the time collided with an iceberg in the early hours of April 13 and sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Killed over 1,500 people.
In September 1985, a team of American and French researchers discovered the liner thousands of feet deep.
This is preliminary and will be updated as additional information becomes available.
