The search is in full swing, knocking noises gave hope for a miracle – but the time for a spectacular rescue of the missing in the submersible “Titan” is running out.
More than three days after the submersible disappeared near the “Titanic” wreck in the North Atlantic, hope for the five missing adventurers’ survival is fading. If the “Titan” is still intact at all, there should only be oxygen on board for less than 20 hours.
The US Coast Guard-led rescue teams stepped up their efforts again on Wednesday. Earlier, several underwater noises had fueled hopes of finding the submersible with the occupants. But according to search coordinator Jamie Frederick, these could not be assigned: “We don’t know what that is,” he said in Boston.
The submersible has been missing since Sunday morning (local time). The “Titan” was on its way to the wreck of the famous luxury liner 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.
search is intensified
The search from the air and with ships was further intensified. A French special ship is expected on Thursday night (CEST). It has a diving robot on board.
According to a US expert involved, the noises recorded on Wednesday night, which were initially 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. The experts, including those from the US military, who listen to the recordings are trained accordingly. There are also some noises coming from ships in the search area.
“Sometimes we can’t find what we’re looking for”
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.
American oceanographer David Gallo said the noise reminded him of the unsuccessful search for the missing passenger plane from flight MH370. “A little caution is needed here because if you remember the Malaysia Airlines plane, there were all kinds of pops, beeps and knocking noises,” Gallo told US broadcaster CNN on Wednesday morning (local time). “It always turned out to be something else.”
Five people on board
Researcher Paul-Henri Nargeolet (77) is also on board the “Titan”. Known as “Monsieur Titanic”, the Frenchman is considered one of the best experts on the wreck of the luxury liner that sank in 1912. 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. As the “Oberbayerisches Volksblatt” reported, Dawood’s wife comes from Germany. According to the operating company Oceangate Expeditions, the fifth missing person is the company boss Stockton Rush (61) as the captain of the boat.
Time is running out: According to estimates by the authorities, the oxygen should only last until Thursday noon (CEST). And even if the capsule is located by then, a successful recovery could take some time. According to the operator, the 6.70 meter long “Titan” has enough oxygen to supply five people for 96 hours.
The conditions are extremely difficult in the vicinity of the “Titanic”, almost 700 kilometers south of the Canadian island of Newfoundland. It is pitch black and the water pressure is great.
Sonobuoys are an important tool when searching under water. The devices are dropped from an aircraft and descend to the required depth. A surface float with a radio transmitter ensures communication between the sonar and the aircraft. The sonars emit sound energy – known as a “ping” – then wait for the return echo from an underwater object. Once the device picks up the echo, it transmits the information back to the surface.
Safety in focus
There were increasing doubts 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.
On Wednesday, other ships were on their way to the search area, which at around 26,000 square kilometers is larger than Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Among them was the Canadian “HMCS Glace Bay”, which has a decompression chamber and medical personnel on board. Divers who have had an accident must get into such a chamber as quickly as possible after being rescued in order to prevent permanent damage. The US Navy sent the “Fadoss” ship lifting system to Newfoundland.
The Titanic sank in the North Atlantic in 1912 on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. 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.