Submarine missing while visiting Titanic wreckage may have only 70 hours of oxygen left

The submarine that disappeared in the Atlantic while visiting the Titanic wreckage is believed to have been carrying five people and may have had only enough oxygen for 70 hours.

"We are doing everything we can to locate the submarine and rescue those on board," US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger told reporters in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 19. "Information from the operator indicates that the submarine has 96 hours of emergency oxygen. We estimate that the oxygen supply is approximately 70 hours or more."

The submarine Titan, operated by OceanGate Expeditions and offering tours of the Titanic wreck, began diving into the Atlantic Ocean early on June 18 and lost contact with the surface ship less than two hours later. The vessel is believed to be carrying five people, including a pilot.

A submarine that takes tourists to the Titanic wreckage. Photo: OceanGate Expeditions — A submarine that takes tourists to the Titanic wreckage. Photo: *OceanGate Expeditions*

The US Coast Guard said it was searching an area about 900 miles (1,450 kilometers) off Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The Canadian Coast Guard has also deployed aircraft and ships to assist. "Searching in that remote area is a challenge, and we are deploying every resource to the operation," Mauger added.

The pilot is believed to be British billionaire Hamish Harding, 58. Harding had previously posted on Instagram about the trip. Rear Admiral Mauger did not comment on the identities of those on board Titan.

Alistair Greig, professor of marine engineering at UCL, UK, put forward two hypotheses based on images of the Titan. According to Mr. Greig, if there was a problem with electronics or communication equipment, the ship could have surfaced and "waited to be found".

“The other scenario is that the hull has been damaged, allowing water to enter,” he said. “That scenario does not have a good prognosis.” Meanwhile, “very few ships” are capable of diving to the same depth as Titan.

British billionaire Hamish Harding may be the helmsman of the missing submarine Titan. Photo: *Facebook/HamishHarding*

The Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg in 1912, killing 1,514 of the 2,224 people on board. The Titanic's wreckage 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 visited the area. OceanGate Expeditions announced a tour of the Titanic wreck in 2020, costing about $250,000 per person. The submarine typically carries five people: a pilot, three passengers, and what the company describes as a “content specialist.”

Titan will be taken to the Titanic wreck site by another ship from St John's, Newfoundland. A single submersible dive and resurfacing will take about eight hours.