Lost submarine on the way to the "Titanic": Coast Guard and military aircraft search for the "Titan"

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The »Titan« is missing

Photo: OceanGate

Near the "Titanic" wreck in the Atlantic, rescue workers are looking for a lost submersible in a cross-border operation, which occasionally takes tourists to the remains of the ship, which was once considered unsinkable, about 3800 meters deep on the seabed. The company Oceangate Expeditions confirmed that there were people on board, but did not give a number.

"We are examining and mobilising all options to bring the crew back safely," the BBC quoted in a statement. The oxygen supply on the "Titan" should last for 96 hours. It had been 32 hours since the submarine left the surface. According to the statement, the authorities are working to bring a remote-controlled vehicle, capable of reaching a depth of 6000 meters, to the site as soon as possible. The crew also includes billionaire British businessman and adventurer Hamish Harding, according to his company.

According to the company, five people can be accommodated in the 6.70-meter-long submarine. Among them are a maximum of three tourists, who have to pay 250,000 US dollars each. Accordingly, the tours, which set off from the Canadian island of Newfoundland, last a total of eight days. According to the BBC, the company advertises the carbon-fibre submersible rides as a chance to "step out of everyday life and discover something truly extraordinary". The OceanGate website reported the current expedition as the fifth of the current year. It was originally scheduled to end on Thursday.

Boats and at least two aircraft were deployed at the suspected site about 1400 kilometers east of the North American coast, as the US Coast Guard announced on Twitter. "All of our attention goes out to the crew members in the submersible and their families," Oceangate said. "We are working on the safe return of the crew members." The company had recently announced that an expedition was underway.

The "Titanic" had sunk in 1912 on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York in the North Atlantic, more than 1500 of the 2200 people on board died. The remains of the famous luxury liner were discovered in 1985 at a depth of around 3800 meters. Films such as the blockbuster "Titanic" (1997) with Hollywood stars Kate Winslet and Leonardo di Caprio further fueled interest in the catastrophe. Only recently, scientists used high-resolution 3D images to provide the most accurate representation of the wreck to date.

svs/AP