After Arthur Loibl, another former passenger of the now desperately sought “Titan” reports – and names a new, possible catastrophe.
Former “Titan” diver Arthur Loibl described the tragedy of the “Titan” capsule with five occupants, which disappeared during a dive on the “Titanic”, as “absolutely cruel”. Now, another occupant of the “Titan”, missing since Sunday, informs about “ORF III aktuell” which, according to calculations, ran out of oxygen on Thursday afternoon. Andreas Waibel is a researcher at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and was also on board the “Titan” in 2022. At the end of the 96 hours that the capsule had oxygen on board, he says: “Of course, hope is decreasing by the minute”.
“Absolutely cruel” – diver “Titan” is stunned
“It makes us very sad, it moves us a lot”, says Waibel, who, like Loibl, knows two of the inmates personally and describes them as good friends. “It is a tragedy that is happening in front of you”, says the researcher. Everyone who goes on a dive trip “is aware of the risks”, says Waibel, the company did not act recklessly and there were numerous safety precautions, they say. But: At a depth of 4,000 meters there are 400 times the pressure compared to the surface of the sea, it is an extreme situation. “The boat has to withstand incredible pressure.”
“The catastrophic event could have occurred that the whole boat broke or collapsed under the enormous pressure”
In addition, you cannot transmit in such depth, but only exchange text messages, according to the expert. As a computer scientist, he tried to fix just that aboard the “Titan” in 2022 to invent a system that would allow voice and video communication. It also worked – in the current case, text was used, so it is not known how the passengers are doing and where the boat is. While observers assume the “Titan” is floating on the sea surface or lying on the sea floor, Waibel has another variant.
Time limit expired – this is how underwater search works now
“The catastrophic event could have occurred when the entire boat broke or buckled under the enormous pressure. That’s always a possibility at these great depths,” says Waibel. A “catastrophic electrical failure” that crippled the boat is also possible. During this expedition, you are usually “seven to nine days in the Atlantic”, with the waves being closely observed. Then there’s extensive pre-dive testing, it’s usually “thoroughly prepared” and a rescue team is ready.
“Inside the submersible, it’s like a small minivan that you can’t stand up in”
According to the researcher, the rescue team also needs it to get out of the capsule, the entrance has to be unscrewed, because only screwed in can it withstand the pressure. The problem with that: even if the hermetically sealed capsule floated to the surface, it would run out of oxygen, “a tragic scenario in this situation”. The capsule’s interior is “like a little minivan you can’t stand up in” – there’s a viewing hatch on one side and a screen on the other that shows the image from an external camera.
New video shows the failure of the “Titanic” mission
As you know the other passengers from the previous cruise very well, the mood is really “jovial, relaxed”, not depressing. In this case, and if a “catastrophic breakdown” really has occurred, the only consolation is: “Then it would be quick, under this pressure you would really lose your life immediately.” Postscript: The statement was “rather morbid” and “I hope you don’t blame me”, but that’s the way it is. Of course, do not count on this case. “Accidents happen everywhere, even on planes, by the way,” says Waibel.
Browsing account rfi time 22.06.2023, 15:50 | Act: 06/22/2023, 3:56 pm