BOSTON – An international air and water search is underway off the coast of Cape Cod to find five people in a submersible that disappeared in the Atlantic Ocean while trying to visit the wreckage of the Titanic, a Guard admiral said Coastal Monday afternoon.
“What we’re focused on is finding these five people,” said Coast Guard Rear Adm. John Mauger, commander of Coast Guard District 1 in Boston.
He said a commander and four “mission specialists” are aboard the sub. Mauger did not identify the five people aboard the sub on Monday.
The search for the submersible is underway 900 miles east of Cape Cod, after Coast Guard officials were notified by the operator of the submersible that it was overdue, Mauger said. The submersible’s last communication was about an hour and 45 minutes after its dive.
US Coast Guard officials in Boston coordinating with the Canadian Coast Guard to search for the missing Titanic tourist submarine 900 miles off Cape Cod. Teams use sonar to try to locate them less than 13,000 feet underwater. The boat can last 96 hours with five people consuming oxygen #Boston25 pic.twitter.com/1KeHQIWuHc
— Drew Karedes (@DrewKaredes) June 19, 2023
The submersible is reportedly operated by OceanGate Expeditions, which conducts expedition dives on the Titanic wreck, according to its website. The company is headquartered in Everett, Washington.
“You’re invited to join us on a deep-sea adventure to explore 95% of the seabed that human eyes have rarely seen. Explore the site of the Titanic wreck in 2023,” from the organization web site states
The company also provides underwater media production services and conducts research and data collection dives.
“OceanGate’s fleet of 5 submersibles enables marine scientists to conduct biological, chemical, geochemical, geological and geophysical studies, visualize and sample organisms in their natural environments,” their website states.
In 2021 and 2022, OceanGate crews completed successful expeditions to the Titanic wreck to further document the site and its rate of decay, its website states.
“Our thoughts are with the crew members and the families of those aboard this submersible at this time,” Mauger said. “We are doing everything we can to locate them.”
The search that stretches 13,000 miles under the ocean now includes the U.S. and Canadian armed forces, with C130 aircraft from both countries, Canada’s P8 aircraft and submarines and sonar buoys searching for the sub, he said.
“It’s a remote area and it’s challenging to conduct a search in this remote area, but we’re deploying every asset available to make sure we can locate the vessel and rescue the people on board,” he said.
On Monday evening, officials planned to launch C130 aircraft from the New York National Guard “to make sure we have enough assets up there,” Mauger said.
Also Monday evening, search teams planned to move additional vessels to the area. The Coast Guard has also been in contact with commercial vessels in the area, Mauger said.
The submersible was designed with a 96-hour sustainment capability “so we’re making the best use of every moment of that time to locate the ship,” he said.
Mauger predicted the time frame would be “between 70 and the full 96 hours at this point.”
Crews are using sonar buoys to listen for sounds that can be detected in the water, he said. The U.S. Navy may become involved in rescue efforts if the submersible is found, he said.
“At this point, we’re focusing on research and understanding the capabilities of the ships that are being deployed to the scene,” Mauger said.
The @USCG is looking for a 21-foot submersible from the Canadian research vessel Polar Prince.
The crew of 5 submerged on Sunday morning and the crew of the Polar Prince lost contact with them approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes after the vessel submerged.
— USCGNortheast (@USCGNortheast) June 19, 2023
As search and rescue professionals, Mauger said, “we work very hard and our teams take it personally.”
“Our first thoughts are with the crew members and the families of those on board,” he said. “We want to make sure we’ve done everything we can to locate their family members and get them home safely.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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