The search is in full swing, but the oxygen lasts for a few more hours at most. The missing on the Titan submersible need a miracle. Meanwhile, the analysis of the sounds from the depths is underway.
More than three days after the disappearance of the “Titanic” submersible in the Atlantic, hope for the survival of the five missing adventurers is fading. The five people on board are slowly running out of oxygen: it should only be enough for a few hours if the “Titan” is still intact at all. Rescue teams led by the US Coast Guard renewed their efforts yesterday (local time), concentrating on an area from which sounds had previously been picked up.
The sounds, registered Tuesday night and yesterday morning, had raised hopes of finding the submersible carrying the occupants. According to an internal memo from the US government, the noises are said to have appeared at regular intervals – but according to search coordinator Jamie Frederick, they could not initially be assigned to people: “We don’t know what that is.”
Sounds don’t have to be knocks
According to a US expert, the sounds, which were interpreted as knocking, could have many causes. “From my experience with acoustics, I can tell you that there are sounds made by biological matter that, to the untrained ear, sound made by humans,” said Carl Hartsfield of the Oceanographic Systems Laboratory. They could also come from ships in the search area. According to David Marquet, a retired US Navy captain, the records offer at least some hope. Regular knocking is just the kind of noise inmates would make to signal they were alive, he told the BBC.
The submersible has been missing since Sunday morning (local time). The “Titan” was on its way to the wreck of the luxury liner that sank in 1912 with five people on board. The “Titanic” wreck lies at a depth of around 3800 meters. About an hour and 45 minutes after the start of the dive, contact with the mother ship “Polar Prince” was lost.
Numerous ships dispatched
The search from the air and with ships was further intensified. A French special ship with a diving robot on board was expected on site on Thursday night (CEST). The Canadian “HMCS Glace Bay”, which has a decompression chamber and medical staff on board, was also on its way to the huge search area. Divers who have had an accident have to get into such a chamber quickly after being rescued in order to prevent permanent damage. The US Navy sent the “Fadoss” ship lifting system.
When asked, search coordinator Frederick also spoke about a possible failure of the mission in view of the closing time window. “Sometimes we don’t find what we’re looking for,” he said. Then it happens “that you have to make a difficult decision. But we’re not at that point yet,” stressed Frederick. If that were to happen, the families of the missing would be notified long before the public. Frederick also said that it is important to remain “optimistic and hopeful”. It is still a rescue operation – not a salvage mission.
“Monsieur Titanic” on board
Researcher Paul-Henri Nargeolet (77) is also on board the “Titan”. Known as “Monsieur Titanic”, the Frenchman is considered one of the leading experts on the wreck of the luxury liner. Other inmates are British adventurer Hamish Harding (58), who holds several Guinness World Records, and British-Pakistani business consultant Shahzada Dawood (48) and his 19-year-old son Suleman. The fifth missing is the boss of the operating company Oceangate, Stockton Rush (61), who steered the boat.
According to the operator, the 6.70 meter long “Titan” has enough oxygen to supply five people for 96 hours. But even after that, people would probably first pass out and not die immediately, Kenneth Ledez, a professor of hyperbaric medicine, told the BBC. There is still hope of finding her alive. Human bodies react very differently to a lack of oxygen.
Pitch black darkness, huge water pressure
But even if the capsule is located, recovery could take some time. The conditions are difficult in the vicinity of the “Titanic”, almost 700 kilometers south of Newfoundland. It’s pitch black and the water pressure is huge.
Doubts had recently arisen about the safety of the “Titan”. This was also ensured by statements by Oceangate boss Rush in a podcast by CBS reporter David Pogue, who rode the “Titan” in 2022. “You know, at some point security is a waste,” Rush said. “I mean, if you want to be on the safe side, it’s best not to get up. Don’t get in your car. Don’t do anything.” The BBC, citing US court documents, reported that an Oceangate employee warned of potential security issues in 2018. Defects in the boat’s carbon hull could go undetected without more rigorous testing, it said.
Oceangate offers wealthy customers an adventurous trip – the cost for the eight-day expedition is 250,000 US dollars (229,000 euros) per person. The dive trip to the Titanic itself should only take a few hours.
The Titanic sank in April 1912 on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York in the North Atlantic. More than 1,500 of the 2,200 people on board died. The remains of the famous luxury liner, broken into two large pieces, were discovered in 1985.