A battery of heavy machinery and submarines dubbed the ‘last chance’ for the crew of the tourist submarine Titan arrived in Canada tonight – but now they face a race against time to help rescuers to help the desperate search.
The line of winches, cables and unmanned vehicles capable of going 19,000 feet underwater were delivered to St. John’s Airport in Newfoundland by three US Air Force cargo planes.
It was taken to port with a police escort, where a waiting ship, the Horizon Arctic, was due to set sail at midnight.
But with the 15-hour voyage to the search area where five people were trapped underwater, it will arrive dangerously close to when the Titan will run out of air.
The desperate search for the five men trapped on the lost Titan submersible has reached its crucial day as more ships are stationed over the Titanic wreck and time is quickly running out to carry out the deepest underwater rescue mission ever.
The line of winches, cables and unmanned vehicles capable of going 19,000 feet underwater were delivered to St. John’s Airport in Newfoundland by three US Air Force cargo planes
It was taken to port with a police escort, where a waiting ship, the Horizon Arctic, was due to set sail at midnight
Three US Air Force C-17 planes, believed to have flown in from North Carolina and New Jersey, landed at a cargo terminal in St. John’s, where they were picked up by six waiting flatbed trailers
Rescue teams are racing against time and air to find the Titan Five – the people trapped on a submersible at the site of the Titanic shipwreck. The Titan was launched Sunday morning and lost contact with the surface within two hours.
Billionaire Hamish Harding, French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, and Shahzada Dawood, 48, a UK-based board member of the Prince’s Trust charity, and his son Sulaiman Dawood, 19, are said to be the people who are able sub.
Massive efforts involving several countries are currently underway to save the occupation.
Rescuers reported late Tuesday that they heard “popping noises” at some point during the rescue operation. The Explorers Club, of which Harding was a founding member of the board of trustees, reported that “probably signs of life have been detected.”
As rescuers struggle to perform a miracle as the oxygen supply to those on board is dwindling, experts fear that even if the ship automatically resurfaced as planned, the crew of five would suffocate within hours because they couldn’t physically open the hatch from the inside can open .
At a depth of 19,000 feet, the submersible is capable of reaching Titan, believed to be as much as 12,000 feet below the surface.
Three US Air Force C-17 planes, believed to have flown in from North Carolina and New Jersey, landed at a cargo terminal in St. John’s, where they were picked up by six waiting flatbed trailers.
The equipment was retrieved from the planes by a military loader and then loaded onto the trucks by a forklift.
One cargo contained a huge red coil of thick cable and two large machines with a blue frame and a sign on the side that read “High Voltage”. While the cable’s exact purpose was unclear, it appeared to be long enough to reach deep into the ocean.
Another shipment contained two heavy-duty Hyundai winches with “6,000 kg of cable pull” written on the side.
The equipment was retrieved from the planes by a military loader and then loaded onto the trucks by a forklift. One cargo contained a huge red coil of thick cable and two large blue-framed machines with a sign on the side that read “High Voltage”.
Another shipment contained two heavy-duty Hyundai winches with “6,000 kg of cable pull” written on the side. The Titan weighs 10,432kg, which means both would have to be used to pull it out
The picture shows the supplies being loaded onto the Horizon Arctic
The Titan weighs 10,432kg, which means both would have to be used to pull it out.
One load contained a shipping box labeled “Pelagic Research Services” – the Massachusetts-based company specializes in deep-sea rescue equipment.
In a statement on its website, the company said it was providing “critical support” to the rescue effort. The company said, “Currently, PRS is in the process of mobilizing as quickly and safely as possible to assist with the search and rescue effort.”
“PRS is committed to helping achieve the best possible outcome from this situation.” Our heartfelt thoughts and wishes go out to all the families, friends and rescue workers of those affected by this emergency.”
The company didn’t specify what it was sending, but its vessels include the Odysseus 6K, which can penetrate to depths of 6,000 meters or 19,000 feet.
According to the company’s website, the control room is built into a shipping crate, which appears to match what was loaded onto the Horizon Atlantic.
Three customs and border officials were previously seen talking to the truck drivers and it was suspected the load was rushed through so it could make its way.
A crowd of onlookers formed at the airport to take photos. One said to his friend, “The cavalry is coming.”
Shahzada Dawood, 48, a UK-based board member of the Prince’s Trust charity, and his son Sulaiman Dawood, 19, are among the five people trapped in the submarine
Once the trucks were loaded, they slowly made their way through St. John’s with a police escort and dropped them off at the waiting Horizon Arctic, which was scheduled to head to the search area near the wreck of the Titanic.
At the docks, a man who claimed to be on standby to travel by ship said, “There are enough air and water resources at the moment that they are not letting anyone go at the moment.” There’s only a limited amount that you can do on the surface.
“That will be gone by midnight tonight.” “It’s a miniature submarine that’s going to sink,” he continued. “They will be there in about 15 hours.” There will be a chance, a small one.
“This is the last try.” This is the last chance. There is no other chance than this ROV (underwater vehicle).
“I hope for the best.” I really hope so. It will be a tragedy for everyone if this is not found. A tragedy upon tragedy.’
Landscape photographer Jonathan Hancock, 44, of St. John’s, was at the harbor with his wife and 13-year-old son.
He said: “I have mixed feelings. It’s scary to imagine that as a tourist you could go down in a submarine and possibly lose power or get tangled up in something and know you can’t get back up. It’s so sad to see something like this happen.
“I have a little hope that they will find her.” It’s small. You will need a miracle.
“It’s great to see that they’re coming into the country, the US Coast Guard, the Canadian Coast Guard, the military, to try to find them and do whatever they can.”
“Those guys at the mine in Thailand, nobody thought it would be possible to get them out.” But the world came together and saved them.”