A small Submarine that takes visitors to see the Titanic was reported overdue last night. Carries 5, reported it carries oxygen for 4 days, article didn’t state when the left
Submarine missing
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Toolguy
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Sounds bad. It would be very ironic for the vessel going to look at the Titanic to sink as well.
Frantic hunt underway for missing Titanic tourist submarine
"Lt. Jordan Hart of the U.S. Coast Guard in Boston told CBS News that personnel were “currently undergoing a search and rescue operation” off the coast of Newfoundland.
Lt.-Cmdr. Len Hickey said an Aurora military aircraft and the Canadian Coast Guard vessel Kopit Hopson were assisting the search effort, which was being led by the U.S. Coast Guard in Boston. The U.S. Coast Guard said in a tweet that it has a C-130 Hercules aircraft involved in the search along with a P-8 Poseidon aircraft, which has underwater detection capabilities...
Lt.-Cmdr. Len Hickey said an Aurora military aircraft and the Canadian Coast Guard vessel Kopit Hopson were assisting the search effort, which was being led by the U.S. Coast Guard in Boston. The U.S. Coast Guard said in a tweet that it has a C-130 Hercules aircraft involved in the search along with a P-8 Poseidon aircraft, which has underwater detection capabilities...
2+ miles to the bottom is not a good omen.
2 miles down... I can't grasp why anyone would do that. Let's hope it's a rescue and not a recovery.
Alk8944
US Veteran
From the Net regarding the missing submarine: OceanGate charges $250,000 (£195,612) a seat for expeditions to the Titanic, which lies some 3,800m (12,500ft) beneath the waves about 435 miles (700km) south of St John's, Newfoundland.
I cannot comprehend spending this amount for a sight-seeing trip that could endanger your life!
I cannot comprehend spending this amount for a sight-seeing trip that could endanger your life!
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2 1/2 miles down an unprotected human would about fit in a sardine tin. Joe
From the BBC:
"...The missing craft is believed to be OceanGate's Titan submersible, a truck-sized sub that holds five people and usually dives with a four-day emergency supply of oxygen.
On Monday afternoon, Rear Adm John Mauger of the US Coast Guard told a news conference: "We anticipate there is somewhere between 70 and the full 96 hours available at this point."..
"...
David Pogue, a CBS reporter who travelled in the Titan submersible last year, told the BBC about the issues that both the submersible crew and the land crew were likely to be experiencing, saying that there was currently "no way" to communicate with the vessel as neither GPS nor radio "work under water".
"When the support ship is directly over the sub, they can send short text messages back and forth. Clearly those are no longer getting a response," Mr Pogue said.
He added that because the passengers were sealed inside the vessel by bolts applied from the outside, "There's no way to escape, even if you rise to the surface by yourself. You cannot get out of the sub without a crew on the outside letting you out."
"...The missing craft is believed to be OceanGate's Titan submersible, a truck-sized sub that holds five people and usually dives with a four-day emergency supply of oxygen.
On Monday afternoon, Rear Adm John Mauger of the US Coast Guard told a news conference: "We anticipate there is somewhere between 70 and the full 96 hours available at this point."..
"...
David Pogue, a CBS reporter who travelled in the Titan submersible last year, told the BBC about the issues that both the submersible crew and the land crew were likely to be experiencing, saying that there was currently "no way" to communicate with the vessel as neither GPS nor radio "work under water".
"When the support ship is directly over the sub, they can send short text messages back and forth. Clearly those are no longer getting a response," Mr Pogue said.
He added that because the passengers were sealed inside the vessel by bolts applied from the outside, "There's no way to escape, even if you rise to the surface by yourself. You cannot get out of the sub without a crew on the outside letting you out."
Even if they find them, there won't be any rescue at 12,500 feet. Something goes wrong down there, nobody comes home.
Hair Trigger
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Neither can I. At least a suborbital tourist space flight will come back to Earth if something goes wrong (but that doesn't mean you'd survive). What goes up must come down, but what goes down doesn't necessarily come back up.
Sad situation to say the least. I’ve been seeing the news on these 5 people missing in this small submarine. I can’t imagine why they would want to risk their lives to do this. Don’t make good sense to me.
Revisiting this horrible saga I can't help but dwell on the stark fear and slow anguish that those folks are/were experiencing.
I can't imagine being locked in a metal coffin as the lights start to fade while the oxygen gives out. Barring a miracle those images will be playing in the minds of all their families forever.
My whole extended family is praying for the above mentioned miracle.
I can't imagine being locked in a metal coffin as the lights start to fade while the oxygen gives out. Barring a miracle those images will be playing in the minds of all their families forever.
My whole extended family is praying for the above mentioned miracle.
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Well the rescue is going to be a problem. Not a lot of equipment can go that deep, and what there is ain't anywhere near there.
Here's hoping they are bobbing around on the surface somewhere and get found by the air search.
Here's hoping they are bobbing around on the surface somewhere and get found by the air search.
David Pogue - my trip aboard the sub
CBS correspondent David Pogue made the trip last year and wrote an account of his experience.
CBS correspondent David Pogue made the trip last year and wrote an account of his experience.
Correspondent David Pogue asked, "Who are the typical clientele for these missions?"
"We have clients that are Titanic enthusiasts, which we refer to as Titaniacs," Rush replied. "We've had people who have mortgaged their home to come and do the trip. And we have people who don't think twice about a trip of this cost. We had one gentleman who had won the lottery."
And this summer, Rush invited "CBS Sunday Morning" to come along.
f all went well, I would be spending about 12 hours sealed inside on a dive to the Titanic. Not gonna lie; I was a little nervous, especially given the paperwork, which read, "This experimental vessel has not been approved or certified by any regulatory body, and could result in physical injury, emotional trauma, or death." Where do I sign?...
"We have clients that are Titanic enthusiasts, which we refer to as Titaniacs," Rush replied. "We've had people who have mortgaged their home to come and do the trip. And we have people who don't think twice about a trip of this cost. We had one gentleman who had won the lottery."
And this summer, Rush invited "CBS Sunday Morning" to come along.
f all went well, I would be spending about 12 hours sealed inside on a dive to the Titanic. Not gonna lie; I was a little nervous, especially given the paperwork, which read, "This experimental vessel has not been approved or certified by any regulatory body, and could result in physical injury, emotional trauma, or death." Where do I sign?...
Here's an article in the local news. Note that you get one read before they beg you to subscribe. Everett-based OceanGate deep-sea craft, crew missing in Atlantic Ocean | HeraldNet.com
This caught my attention: "Titan’s controls are based on a Logitech video game controller."
This caught my attention: "Titan’s controls are based on a Logitech video game controller."
DWalt
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It’s not a metal coffin, rather graphite fiber composite which is supposed to be stronger. But that makes no difference to those trapped inside. The usual procedure for floating a bathyscaphe from the depths is to release tons of steel shot carried as ballast. I could find no information if the Titan uses steel ballast. If it could not, for some reason, shed its ballast, the game is over. It also has several thrusters for maneuvering, I couldn’t find much information about that. Worst case would be a hull failure, even a small one. That would be near-instant death for all aboard. Hopefully, Titan and all aboard are now floating around somewhere in the Atlantic and will be spotted and rescued. There will be no rescue from the deep.
There is an article from 2019 on National Geographic’s website about the Titan that is worth reading.
There is an article from 2019 on National Geographic’s website about the Titan that is worth reading.
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OP
If there is no hope of rescue, the 4 days of oxygen may well be a curse
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That’s just insane …. Bolted in … no escape hatch ???
OP
At 12,500 ft, where you going to escape to?
riverrat38
US Veteran
From Ocean Gates website, "OceanGate worked with NASA to build the fully-electric submarine. Lithium batteries, which charge overnight, power the sub, Hauge said."
Well, Lithium Batteries, at least nothing can go wrong there! If the batteries in my Leaf misbehave, I can stop quick and run. Maybe! But, I would not want Li batteries at 30,000 feet up in the sky, at least not without a good parachute. The only place worse than that would be 12,000 feet under the sea.
A major hull breach would be over fast. Very fast. The piston in a diesel engine compresses the air in the cylinder to about 20 Atmospheres (Atm), which raises the temp to enough ignite the fuel. The Titanic is in water with a pressure of over 300 Atm. The inrush of sea water would ignite everything. A slow uncontrolled leak would slowly raise the pressure and temp to un survivable levels. I don't know, but I have serious doubts about the existence of pumps that can work against 300 Atm. That would be a lot of lift.
Dropping ballast could only work as long as there is not too much water in the sub.
There is not really any scenario for drowning, but high pressure caused by raising water levels would cause the bends.
There is also the consideration that sea water is not likely to get along well with Li batteries.
73,
Rick
Well, Lithium Batteries, at least nothing can go wrong there! If the batteries in my Leaf misbehave, I can stop quick and run. Maybe! But, I would not want Li batteries at 30,000 feet up in the sky, at least not without a good parachute. The only place worse than that would be 12,000 feet under the sea.
A major hull breach would be over fast. Very fast. The piston in a diesel engine compresses the air in the cylinder to about 20 Atmospheres (Atm), which raises the temp to enough ignite the fuel. The Titanic is in water with a pressure of over 300 Atm. The inrush of sea water would ignite everything. A slow uncontrolled leak would slowly raise the pressure and temp to un survivable levels. I don't know, but I have serious doubts about the existence of pumps that can work against 300 Atm. That would be a lot of lift.
Dropping ballast could only work as long as there is not too much water in the sub.
There is not really any scenario for drowning, but high pressure caused by raising water levels would cause the bends.
There is also the consideration that sea water is not likely to get along well with Li batteries.
73,
Rick
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DWalt
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It is not difficult to imagine the damage that even a small leak at a pressure over 5,000 psi would cause.
One of the reasons I would not be on a Boat/Ship that is designed to sink....
NFrameFred
Member
Saw one of the talking heads interviewing Pogue. He stated there were several "options"/"systems" that could be deployed (theoretically?) to "allow the sub to surface". BUT ... all it would allow if successful was would be to float on the surface - no way to exit or unseal the canister, or send distress signals should the power fail. They bet their lives on that and I fear that was a bad bet. Though I don't have the fortitude for it, I understand pioneers in technology risking their lives to accomplish things in the name of exploration and research. Won't judge/condemn anyone who just has the money and does it for a lark, but question their grasp on reality and common sense. If that crew survives this it will, indeed, be a Providential miracle of grace.
Titanic, symbolic of man's arrogance (unsinkable) will claim 5 more lives. Folks are so worried: "It'll be gone in a hundred more years!" Good. Joe
At least if it does make it to the surface it will be visible. If...
There is live coverage on the BBC here. "A pipe-laying vessel is at the scene... The ship has two remote-control underwater vessels capable of searching for the OceanGate Titan"
"Dr Simon Boxall, University of Southampton lecturer in oceanography, said it was a "real challenge" to identify where the missing submersible is and to get it back.
He believes its unlikely the Titan is on the surface, and that it may have become snared on part of the wreckage..."
He believes its unlikely the Titan is on the surface, and that it may have become snared on part of the wreckage..."
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