Titanic wreck tour submersible had an accident

The Titan submersible that is missing in the Atlantic Ocean had an accident and got lost for about 2.5 hours last year.

CBS correspondent David Pogue, who was on the Titan submersible last year to record a program for CBS Sunday Morning, revealed on June 19 that the submersible had trouble communicating with its surface guide ship.

"Without underwater GPS, the surface ship was tasked with guiding the submersible to the Titanic wreck by sending messages. However, during that dive, the communication method failed," Pogue recounted.

"We were lost for about two and a half hours. The submersible did not reach the Titanic wreckage," Pogue said. The submersible eventually returned without completing its mission. The operator announced that it would arrange for passengers on the failed trip to re-experience it for free in 2024.

The Titan submersible in a CBS report last year. Photo: CBS — The Titan submersible in a CBS report last year. Photo: *CBS*

The Titan submersible, operated by OceanGate Expeditions to offer tours of the Titanic wreck, began its dive into the Atlantic Ocean on the morning of June 18 and lost contact with the surface ship Polar Prince less than two hours later.

One of the passengers on the Titan submersible is believed to be 58-year-old British billionaire Hamish Harding. Harding had previously posted about the trip on social media. Also on board, Sky News reported, were French submersible pilot Paul-Henry Nargeolet and OceanGate Expeditions CEO and founder Stockton Rush.

OceanGate tweeted last week that it would be holding one tour of the Titanic wreck site this year due to weather issues, and has two more scheduled for June 2024. The company noted that due to its location in the middle of the Atlantic, it relies on Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites for communications at sea.

The wreck of the Titanic, which sank after hitting an iceberg in 1912, was found in 1985 at a depth of nearly 4,000 meters, about 600 kilometers off Newfoundland, Canada. Since then, many scientists and professional expeditions have approached the area.

OceanGate Expeditions announced a tour of the Titanic wreck in 2020 that costs about $250,000 per person. The submersible typically carries five people, including a pilot, three passengers, and what the company describes as a “content specialist.” The submersible has limited power reserves, so it can’t leave port and return on its own, but needs a mother ship to take it to the location and retrieve it.

Ngoc Anh (According to NY Post )

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