The urgent search continuing for a missing submersible vessel in the Atlantic Ocean is now in the end of its third day. The sub vanished 900 miles off the coast of Cape Cod during a dive to the wreck of the Titanic.
The Coast Guard and other agencies are using aircraft and sonar buoys, searching an area the size of Connecticut. As of 6 p.m. Tuesday, there are just 36 hours of breathable air on the vessel, according to the Coast Guard.
Reporter David Pogue took part in an expedition on that submersible, called The Titan, last year. He is deeply concerned about the viability of rescuing the five people on board.
“Either they are at the surface bobbing somewhere and they are fine, and the Coast Guard will find them, or the news is really bad,” Pogue told News 12 Connecticut.
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Now, the Westport resident is trying to help people better understand what it is like to be on the missing tourist submersible. He recalls that Stockton Rush, the CEO of the travel adventure company OceanGate Expeditions, feared becoming stuck on a fishing net.
Pogue says there are only a few other vessels in the world that can travel as deep as 13,000 feet, where the Titanic lies.
“You couldn’t get a submersible to the middle of the north Atlantic in time to go down and get them, that's the bottom line,” Pogue said. “At this point if you were in that submersible, what is running through your head is, 'are we getting out of this?'"
An engineer in the field of deep ocean robotics shared those same concerns with NBC Connecticut. He did not want to be identified, but said, “The deep ocean is a very hostile environment and accidents tend to cascade very fast.”
He says the submersible could have had a massive implosion, and could now be miles from the Titanic on the sea floor.
If the vessel sank, he says the people on board are, sadly, counting the hours, and likely shutting everything down to conserve power.
The engineer adds that even if the sub rose to the surface, the crew is still trapped, and cannot open the hatch from inside.
Coast Guard leaders say they cannot guarantee the rescue of the five people on board the missing submersible.
“We offer our most heartfelt thoughts and prayers for the five crew members, their families and their loved ones,” Captain Jamie Frederick, response coordinator for the USCG First District.
The Coast Guard laid out plans for the next 24 hours Tuesday afternoon.
“Our crews are working around the clock to ensure that we are doing everything possible to locate the Titan and the five crew members,” Frederick said.
While the Coast Guard, based out of Boston, is acting as the search and rescue coordinator, they have also set up a unified command that includes experts from the Navy, armed forces and the Titan’s private parent company OceanGate Expeditions.
“Since Sunday, the Coast Guard has coordinated search efforts with the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard, Air National Guard aircraft and The Polar Prince, which is search a combined 7,600 square miles, an area larger than the state of Connecticut,” Frederick said.
The search continues on the water’s surface via aircraft, and underwater with sonar buoys.
When the submersible departed the Canadian research vessel The Polar Prince at 8 a.m. Sunday, it had 96 hours of oxygen supply.
“Approximately one hour and 45 minutes into the scheduled dive, The Polar Prince lost all communication with a Titan,” Frederick said.
He says The Polar Prince requested assistance several hours later.
“As soon as we receive the report on Sunday evening, we immediately launched search efforts,” Frederick said.
Tuesday night, with less than two days of breathable air on the vessel, Coast Guard leaders could not say if there is enough time to rescue the people on board.
“I don't know the answer to that question,” Frederick said. “What I will tell you is we will do everything in our power to effect a rescue.”
He adds that right now, all efforts are focused on simply finding the sub. If crews do get to that point, experts will determine the next course of action.
