A tourist submarine has disappeared off the coast of Canada during an organized trip to the Titanic wreck. The private company operating the submersible, OceanGate Expeditions, said in a BBC press release on Monday June 19 that it is “assessing and mobilizing all options” to bring the crew back safely.
According to British media, the American Coast Guard confirmed that a search and rescue mission had been launched. Canada is also involved and is helping the search with a boat and an airplane, the Canadian Coast Guard told Agence France-Presse. The mobilized boat “lay off eastern Newfoundland and made its way to the search area,” they said.
“We are fully focused on the submersible crew members and their families,” adds OceanGate Expeditions, which says it has received “significant support” from “multiple government agencies and offshore companies.” No information has yet been given on the number of people on board.
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OceanGate Expeditions recently confirmed in his social networks that one of his expeditions was “underway” is charging his clients $250,000 (€230,000) for a spot on his eight-day expedition to view the famous wreck. According to the company, the submersible will seat five people, including a pilot, three fare-paying passengers and an “expert”.
Third expedition to the “Titanic”
The wreck of the Titanic lies 3,810 meters (12,500 feet) at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, nearly 600 kilometers off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. In 1912, the liner collided with an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. Of the 2,200 passengers and crew on board, more than 1,500 died.
The 2023 OceanGate expedition was the third to travel to the site of the sunken transatlantic liner to document its deterioration and marine life. The voyage was scheduled to begin in St. Johns, Newfoundland in early May and conclude in late June, according to a court document the company filed in April with the US District Court in Virginia that has jurisdiction over Titanic cases.
OceanGate used the Canadian vessel Polar Prince, an icebreaker previously operated by the Canadian Coast Guard, to ferry dozens of people and the submersible to the wreck site. The five-person submersible, named Titan, can dive to depths of 4,000 meters “with a comfortable margin of safety,” OceanGate said in its court filing.