Titan Sub: Missing, Low On Air, May Be Doomed

The world is praying for a miracle and hoping against hope on behalf of the missing Titan sub and its dwindling options for a happy ending.

Top News Today :
On Sunday, the Titan sub, a submersible vehicle operated by OceanGate Expeditions, launched off the coast of Newfoundland in Canada. The plan was for the tiny vessel (along with its pilot and 4 tourists) to make a 12,500-foot dive into the depths of the North Atlantic Ocean for a $250,000 per-person opportunity of a lifetime to view the wreckage of the historic Titanic ship sitting on the floor of the sea.  

Sadly, the expedition didn’t go as planned.

The dive just to reach the ocean floor was expected to take about 3 hours and the entire expedition was slated to last 8 hours. For the first hour and a half of the descent, the Titan sub communicated with the Polar Prince (mothership) on the surface every 15 minutes. However, soon thereafter, all communication with the submersible was lost. It just stopped.

Here’s why experts are concerned:

• The Titan sub is officially missing somewhere within a 900-mile radius off the US coast.
• The submersible vessel is lost in the dark depths of the Atlantic Ocean somewhere between the surface and the ocean floor, which is 12,500 feet below sea level.
• The 5 passengers inside the missing sub were sealed into the air-tight craft with at least 17 deadbolts, which means that the only way to get them out is to find the vessel and manually open it.  
• The sub only has 1 button to operate it. Additionally, its steering capabilities are handled by an Xbox game controller.

“There’s no backup, there’s no escape pod,” CBS News correspondent David Pogue said this week. “It’s [either] get to the surface or die.”

Experts have concluded that some critical emergency occurred to cause the loss in communications. The Titan could have lost all power. It could have gotten stuck in a large fishing net or in the debris of the Titanic. It could have leaked and killed everyone instantly. Or, it could be floating around in the dark with its passengers in desperate need of rescue.

As if all that wasn’t already enough, there are more concerns.

Since the Titan sub was only supposed to be underwater for an expected 8-hour journey, its onboard oxygen is limited. In fact, The Associated Press is reporting that the vessel only has enough oxygen left onboard to last until midday Thursday before all of the passengers die from suffocation (if they’re not already dead).

So, what’s the plan?

First, the Titan sub has to be located. However, finding a tiny 21-foot vessel (approx. the size of a passenger van) floating somewhere within a 900-mile-wide and 12,500-foot-deep sea is beyond daunting.

IF the vessel is indeed found, rescuers will then be tasked with figuring out how to reach the Titan and bring it to the surface. This too would be a near-impossible mission since Navy Seal divers can only go to a depth of about 2000 feet before their bodies are crushed. The Titan could be 10,000 feet deeper than any human could ever dive.

Without the possibility of human assistance, the US Coast Guard would be forced to deploy an unmanned remotely operated vehicle (ROV). However, even this sort of remote rescue comes with its own set of difficulties.

“While the submersible might still be intact, if it is deeper than more than 200m (656ft) there are very few vessels that can get that deep, and certainly not divers,” said Prof Alistair Greig, a submarine expert from University College London. “The vehicles designed for navy submarine rescue certainly can’t get down to anywhere near the depth of the Titanic.”

Wait, there’s more.

No one knows if there is adequate food and water inside the vessel to last these many days between 5 people. They could have already run out of sustenance.

No one knows if anyone onboard is in need of medical attention or medication.

The onboard toilet system includes hospital-style urine jugs and the equivalent of Ziplock bags.

IF there is a rescue, it has to be totally completed (and the door hatch unbolted) before the vessel runs out of oxygen, which is expected to occur sometime Thursday.

Let’s state the obvious: no human should have ever allowed themselves to be dead-bolted inside a tiny metal tube and then dropped nearly 13,000 feet to the ocean floor simply for a thrill.

Now, let’s state what major news organizations are reluctant to state: this is going to take a bonafide miracle to end well. Or, in other words, let’s all just pray for divine intervention!

OK WASSUP! discusses the Top News Today:
Missing Titan sub is running low on options.