Only around 40 hours of oxygen left in Titanic sub missing off Canadian coast
The massive search effort continues for the missing submersible used for expeditions to view the Titanic’s wreckage, and the clock is ticking.
According to a report by SkyNews, a representative for the US Coast Guard said there’s now only “about 40 hours of breathable air” left for the five people onboard.
The missing vessel, called the Titan, is owned by an Everett, Washington, company called OceanGate. The Titan can travel at speeds of up to three knots and reach depths of up to 4,000 meters (13,123 feet).
OceanGate
“The Coast Guard is searching for five persons after the Canadian research vessel Polar Prince lost contact with their submersible during a dive, approximately 900 miles east of Cape Cod, Sunday morning,” states a release.
According to the Associated Press, those onboard include a pilot, a Titanic expert, two members of a prominent Pakistani business family, and British adventurer Hamish Harding.
As of June 20, authorities have searched a total of 7,600 square miles, an area larger than the state of Connecticut. Operations will also be moving to St. John’s in Newfoundland.
“We are all anxiously awaiting a positive outcome in the coordinated search for the Titan submersible and the people onboard,” tweeted Andrew Furey, premier of Newfoundland and Labrador.
During a June 19 press briefing, Rear Admiral John Mauger, commander of the First Coast Guard District, laid out the challenges of searching for the missing vessel. He called the case complex, stating that they were searching for the vessel both underwater and on the surface in case it had managed to resurface and lost communication with the research vessel.
Rear Admiral John Mauger, commander of the First Coast Guard District during a June 19 press conference (US Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 3rd Class Briana Carter)
“But we’re also having to search in the water column and we’re doing that right now with the use of sonar buoys and sonar on the ship that’s out there to listen for any sounds that we can detect in the water column,” he explained.
The US Coast Guard is also working with the Canadian Coast Guard and the Canadian Armed Forces.
In a June 19 statement, the company said that it’s working towards the safe return of the crewmembers.
“We are exploring and mobilizing all options to bring the crew back safely,” reads the statement. “We are deeply thankful for the extensive assistance we have received from several government agencies and deep sea companies in our efforts to reestablish contact with the submersible.”
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