submersible missing near the Titanic

[georgina]

https://www.npr.org/2023/06/19/1183...uring-submersible-missing-in-the-atlantic-oce

They are not sure if any paying guests are onboard (an 8 day tour costs $250,000!)

I found this quote interesting (bolding mine)- Stockton Rush, the president of OceanGate, told The New York Times last summer that private exploration was needed to continue feeding public fascination with the wreck site.

 

[_19disnA]

Rather odd they don't know if anyone was on board? Seems more like they don't want to say.

 

[cvjw]

I read there were 5 people on board. At least 1 paying customer.

 

[mmouse37]

ABC news just reported 5 people onboard.

 

[dvcgirl67]

I saw this story earlier....can't imagine. DH and I were crazy enough to go down 800 ft in a tiny submarine with one pilot in the Cayman Islands. It was very cool....descended right off a cliff down, down, down. The pilot shined a light on the wall as we descended and we saw the layers of sponge, lots of crazy looking crabs and squid the deeper we went. Down 13,000 ft....is insane! I just can't imagine....it would seem to be a pretty difficult rescue operation, if they're even still alive. Hope they make it.

 

[DLgal]

ABC news just reported 5 people onboard.

1 confirmed paying customer, British Billionaire Hamish Harding.

 

[georgina]

hope they are found OK.

I can’t imagine doing something like this (if I had the money). I am quite risk adverse. We recently got a mailer about an African safari trip that involves 5 or 6 small plane trips, the fear of a crash would hold me back.

 

[dvcgirl67]

hope they are found OK.

I can’t imagine doing something like this (if I had the money). I am quite risk adverse. We recently got a mailer about an African safari trip that involves 5 or 6 small plane trips, the fear of a crash would hold me back.

We're going to South Africa next year and passed on options for more remote places not so much because of the little planes, but because you can only bring soft sided luggage....very limited weight. We'll be there for over two weeks, so not sure how we'd swing that....unless we stored luggage somewhere?

We just did a helicopter tour on the Big Island. I did enjoy it, and forced myself to avoid googling "helicopter crashes in Hawaii".....but did after we returned. Glad I didn't google before.

 

[NotUrsula]

We're going to South Africa next year and passed on options for more remote places not so much because of the little planes, but because you can only bring soft sided luggage....very limited weight. We'll be there for over two weeks, so not sure how we'd swing that....unless we stored luggage somewhere?

We just did a helicopter tour on the Big Island. I did enjoy it, and forced myself to avoid googling "helicopter crashes in Hawaii".....but did after we returned. Glad I didn't google before.

OT, but if you're using a major city as your base and staying in a hotel there, hotels will often store luggage for a few days for a fee.

Back on topic: I see that the Canadian Navy is leading a rescue effort. Hopefully they have been able to get the right equipment out to the site quickly and are able to go down after it. I would think that there would be a sonar locator on board; just doesn't make sense to have a deep-water submersible without one; so hopefully it is not disabled.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Ugh! This is terrifying!

"David Pogue, a CBS reporter who travelled in the Titan submersible last year, told the BBC about the issues that both the submersible crew and the land crew were likely to be experiencing, saying that there was currently "no way" to communicate with the vessel as neither GPS nor radio "work under water".
"When the support ship is directly over the sub, they can send short text messages back and forth. Clearly those are no longer getting a response," Mr Pogue said.
He added that because the passengers were sealed inside the vessel by bolts applied from the outside, "There's no way to escape, even if you rise to the surface by yourself. You cannot get out of the sub without a crew on the outside letting you out."

 

[georgina]

Ugh! This is terrifying!

"David Pogue, a CBS reporter who travelled in the Titan submersible last year, told the BBC about the issues that both the submersible crew and the land crew were likely to be experiencing, saying that there was currently "no way" to communicate with the vessel as neither GPS nor radio "work under water".
"When the support ship is directly over the sub, they can send short text messages back and forth. Clearly those are no longer getting a response," Mr Pogue said.
He added that because the passengers were sealed inside the vessel by bolts applied from the outside, "There's no way to escape, even if you rise to the surface by yourself. You cannot get out of the sub without a crew on the outside letting you out."

I saw the CBS show where he was on that sub. They lost contact for a while, it was definitely nerve-racking. We are big fans of both the CBS Saturday and Sunday morning shows.

 

[DLgal]

You basically have to sign your life away to take this submersible voyage. The sub has absolutely no certifications at all. It's some rich guy's pet project. And it looks janky as all get out. You couldn't pay me enough money to get in that thing.

 

[sunshine1178]

This reminds me of Payne Stewart’s airplane…

 

[QueenIsabella]

You basically have to sign your life away to take this submersible voyage. The sub has absolutely no certifications at all. It's some rich guy's pet project. And it looks janky as all get out. You couldn't pay me enough money to get in that thing.

Me, either. Especially when I read that you're literally bolted into the thing--even if it surfaced, you can't get out from the inside, you have to have outside help to open the bolts. That's a big, fat "HECK NO!" from me!

 

[Imzadi]

I wonder if there's much of a bathroom on board. They probably have no water or food or even emergency rations.

 

[QueenIsabella]

I wonder if there's much of a bathroom on board. They probably have no water or food or even emergency rations.

I read that they have air for 96 hours, and emergency provisions. Unfortunately, succumbing to the incredible pressure of water at that depth is the most likely scenario.

 

[Kim&Chris]

hope they are found OK.

I can’t imagine doing something like this (if I had the money). I am quite risk adverse. We recently got a mailer about an African safari trip that involves 5 or 6 small plane trips, the fear of a crash would hold me back.

I'm with you. That would be a giant "no" from me. To each their own, but I feel the same way regarding risk.

 

[Kim&Chris]

I read that they have air for 96 hours, and emergency provisions. Unfortunately, succumbing to the incredible pressure of water at that depth is the most likely scenario.

I just heard that they believe the air will run out by Thursday morning.

 

[dvcgirl67]

OT, but if you're using a major city as your base and staying in a hotel there, hotels will often store luggage for a few days for a fee.

Back on topic: I see that the Canadian Navy is leading a rescue effort. Hopefully they have been able to get the right equipment out to the site quickly and are able to go down after it. I would think that there would be a sonar locator on board; just doesn't make sense to have a deep-water submersible without one; so hopefully it is not disabled.

Yes, I think that's what people do if they're starting/ending in the same city like Cape Town or Johannesburg....they'll store luggage at the hotel, or at a business that provides that service. We're starting in Cape Town, then to wine country, then up to the Greater Kruger area for the safari portion...then departing out of Johannesburg. So..it wouldn't work. It's our first trip to SA....so we're cool without the "little planes"....we will need to take a flight from Cape Town up to the Kruger area, but that's a jet.

Back on topic....from what I'm reading it will be a miracle if they rescue these people. Our Coast Guard apparently has equipment that can recover something as deep at 20K feet down....but, they'd have to find it in time, they'd all need to be alive....etc.

Seeing the actual submersible in videos....there is NO WAY in a million years I'd go down in that thing. It's like a tin can....and the "controller" to steer the thing is literally a game controller you'd find at Best Buy. Just insane.

 

[dvcgirl67]

I wonder if there's much of a bathroom on board. They probably have no water or food or even emergency rations.

They bring a "urinal bottle" down with them....like you'd see in a hospital. They're only supposed to be down there for 10 hours. I would imagine it's awful if they're even still alive. I heard about the amount of air they carry, but without power (if they've lost it), I wonder if they're able to stay warm enough. Just a nightmarish way to go. If they are gone, I hope it was quick for them and not slowly running out of air.