MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Submarine carrying tourists to Titanic Wreckage reported missing

The disappearance of the submarine raises concerns about the safety of these expeditions

A submarine transporting tourists to explore the remains of the Titanic, which sank in 1912, has disappeared off the coast of Terranova, Canada, according to the BBC. One crew member and four tourists are missing and a search operation has been launched, the U.S. Coast Guard has confirmed.

The Guardian cited a spokesperson from the U.S. Coast Guard in Boston, stating that five individuals were onboard the submarine at the time of its disappearance. The U.S. Coast Guard is currently conducting search and rescue operations in the area but has provided limited information.

The U.S. search and rescue operation has been joined by a military aircraft and a Canadian Coast Guard vessel, according to the Canadian Joint Rescue Coordination Center.

The alarm about the disappearance was raised Sunday night local time, a couple of hours after the last communications were received from the submersible.

The submersible is owned by U.S.-based OceanGate Expeditions, a company that manages deep-sea expedition submarines and offers eight-day, seven-night tours to visit the wreck of the Titanic in Atlantic waters off Newfoundland, for a price of $250,000. The money raised is earmarked for research on the ocean liner that sank when it struck an iceberg in 1912.

Private companies have been offering excursions to visit the Titanic wreckage for decades. However, the distance of the site and the depth of the remains, which lie 3,800 meters below the surface, pose significant challenges. It can take up to eight hours for small submersibles to reach the location, making the trips both difficult and expensive. Some expeditions cost over €200,000 (US$ 218338.00), not including travel expenses to Terranova.

The disappearance of the submarine raises concerns about the safety of these expeditions. While incidents like this are rare, authorities and experts emphasize the need for stringent safety protocols and continuous efforts to improve safety measures for underwater exploration.