If the “Titan” is still intact at all, there may only be less than 20 hours of oxygen on board. Rescue teams led by the US Coast Guard resumed their efforts on Wednesday. Previously, several underwater noises had fueled hopes of finding the submarine with its 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 submarine has been missing since Sunday morning (local time). The “Titan” was on its way to the wreck of the famous luxury ship with five people on board. The wreck of the “Titanic” is located at a depth of about 3800 meters. About an hour and 45 minutes after the start of the dive, contact with the mothership “Polar Prince” was lost.
The search by air and ships was further intensified. A French special vessel is expected on Thursday night (CEST). It has a diving robot on board.
According to a concerned American expert, the sounds 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 sound like man-made sounds to the untrained ear,” said Carl Hartsfield of the Oceanographic Systems Laboratory. The experts, including those from the US military, who listen to the recordings, have been trained on this. There are also some sounds coming from ships in the search area.
Search coordinator Frederick, when asked, also spoke of a possible failure of the mission given the closing time window. “Sometimes we can’t find what we’re looking for,” he said. Then it happens that “you have to make a difficult decision. But we’re not there yet,” Frederick said. If that happened, the families of the missing would be notified long before the public. Frederick also said it’s important to remain “optimistic and hopeful”. It’s still a rescue operation, not a salvage mission.
American oceanographer David Gallo said the noise reminded him of the failed search for the missing passenger jet from flight MH370. “A little bit of caution is needed here because if you remember the Malaysia Airlines plane, there were all sorts of pops, beeps and knocks,” Gallo told CNN (local time) on Wednesday morning. “It always turned out to be something else.”
Researcher Paul-Henri Nargeolet (77) is also on board the Titan. The Frenchman known as “Monsieur Titanic” is considered one of the top experts on the wreckage of the luxury liner that sank in 1912. Other prisoners include British adventurer Hamish Harding (58), who holds several Guinness World Records, and British-Pakistani business adviser Shahzada Dawood (48) and his 19-year-old son Suleman. As the “Oberbayerisches Volksblatt” reported, Dawood’s wife is from Germany. According to the Oceangate Expeditions operating company, the fifth missing person is Stockton Rush, 61, the captain of the boat.
Time is running out: authorities estimate that the oxygen should only last until Thursday afternoon (CEST). And even if the capsule is found by then, a successful recovery may take some time. According to the operator, the 6.70 meter long “Titan” has enough oxygen to supply five people with oxygen for 96 hours. Conditions are extremely harsh near the “Titanic”, nearly 700 kilometers south of the Canadian island of Newfoundland. It is pitch dark and the water pressure is high.
Sonobuoys are an important aid in underwater searches. The devices are dropped from an aircraft and descend to the desired depth. A surface float with a radio transmitter provides communication between the sonar and the aircraft. The sonars emit sound energy — known as “ping” — then wait for the echo from an underwater object. Once the device picks up the echo, it sends the information back to the surface.
There were increasing doubts about the safety of the “Titan”. This was also assured by statements made 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, you better not get up. Don’t get in your car. Do nothing.” The BBC reported, based on US court documents, that an Oceangate employee warned in 2018 of potential security vulnerabilities. Flaws in the boat’s carbon hull could go unnoticed without more rigorous testing, it said.
Oceangate offers wealthy clients an adventure trip – the cost for the eight-day expedition is $ 250,000 (229,000 euros) per person.
On Wednesday, other ships were en route to the search area, which is larger than Mecklenburg-Vorpommern at about 26,000 square kilometers. Among them was the Canadian “HMCS Glace Bay”, which has a decompression chamber and medical personnel on board. Divers who have had an accident should get into such a room as soon as possible after their rescue to avoid permanent damage. The US Navy sent the “Fadoss” boat lift 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 were killed. The remains of the famous luxury liner, broken into two large pieces, were discovered in 1985. (sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
