Expert explains the possibility of conserving oxygen: Is there still hope for the Titan crew?

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The oxygen in the Titan submarine, which has been missing since Sunday, was sufficient until 1:08 p.m. Swiss time. This is according to calculations by the US Coast Guard. For the journey to the Titanic and back, the submarine had oxygen on board for 96 hours. If the boat is unsurprisingly on the surface, the crew should be out of air by now – or should they?

Jules Jaffe, a researcher at the University of California, told NBC News, “It could be that they’re conserving oxygen.” The oceanographer was involved in the search for the wreck of the Titanic in 1985. “When you realize you’re running out of oxygen, it’s wise to reduce your metabolism.”

One way to do this is to simply lie still and breathe shallowly. It is therefore possible that the oxygen reserves last longer.

Rescuers don’t give up

The search area is huge and constantly expanding. The capsule itself, however, is barely larger than an elevator car. Yet those responsible are still talking about a rescue operation and not about a salvage operation.

New special ships are constantly arriving in the search area. The operator of the Titan mothership, Sean Leet, is still hopeful. “The equipment mobilized is the best in the world, the most powerful in the world,” Leet told reporters on Wednesday afternoon (local time).

Recovery can take hours

A French deep-sea robot arrived a few hours ago, NBC News reports. But even when a find was found, the residents could not be helped immediately. “At this depth, there’s really no way to get oxygen in,” marine researcher Tom Dettweiler told CNN Thursday. “There’s no opening or anything like that for oxygen to get in.”

The only solution would be to raise the “Titan” as quickly as possible, open the hatch and go to the people, emphasized Dettweiler, who himself was involved in the search for and recovery of the sunken luxury liner Titanic in 1985. But bringing the submarine to the surface from a great depth would likely take several hours, the researcher stressed. (jl/sda)

Source: Blick