Update
Thursday brought forth a new development in the escalating saga of the missing OceanGate Titan submarine, as the U.S. Coast Guard relayed that the Canadian vessel Horizon Arctic has put into action a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). This underwater robot has achieved its descent to the Atlantic Ocean floor, and is currently exploration for the missing Titan and its occupants. This marks the first deep-sea expedition in the ongoing search, as until now, the investigation has largely depended on airborne and sonar-based tactics. The sprawling, murky terrain of the Atlantic seabed now bears the hopes of those still seeking the lost vessel.
As the clock ticks mercilessly forward, the estimated oxygen reserves within the Titan’s interior are projected by the Coast Guard to be depleted by Thursday morning. A daunting deadline for an already fraught search. The OceanGate website corroborates the dire oxygen predicament, stating the Titan sub is equipped with a 96-hour life support system, designed to sustain a crew of five.
Underwater Noises
A Canadian aircraft participating in the search detected the underwater noises in the specified search area. Crews reported hearing “banging” and “acoustic feedback” sounds, possibly from the Titan submersible. The memo disclosed that the banging sounds were detected every 30 minutes by a Canadian aircraft. Even after the deployment of additional sonar, the sounds persisted four hours later. The unexpected sounds led to the deployment of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) in an attempt to locate the source of the noises. Despite the noise, the initial ROV searches yielded no results.
Who’s On Board?
The missing submersible was carrying British explorer Hamish Harding, 58, who also serves as the chairman of Action Aviation, a global business aviation sales company. An accomplished adventurer, Harding has ventured into space, holds three Guinness World Records, including the longest time spent traversing the deepest part of the ocean on a single dive, and the fastest circumnavigation of Earth via both geographic poles by airplane.
