On the 18th local time, an American deep-sea submersible investigating the wreck of the "Titanic" disappeared in the eastern waters of Canada.
The private deep-sea submersible from the American seabed exploration company Ocean Gate reportedly carried five people. These include British billionaire Hamish Harding, French diver Paul Henri Nagolitt, head and CEO of Oceangate Stockton Roush, and Pakistani billionaire Shahzada Daoud, 48, and his 19-year-old son, Suleiman Daoud.
From left to right: French diver Paul, British billionaire Hamish, CEO of OceanGate Stockton
Shahzada (right) and son Suleiman (left), according to the Southern Metropolis Daily
On the 19th, the coast guards of the United States and Canada sent aircraft and ships, using sonar buoys and other equipment, to search for the sea area about 1450 kilometers east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA. In addition, the French government announced on the 20th that it would send a ship equipped with a deep submersible to participate in the search and rescue.
The US Coast Guard said at a press conference on the 20th that the current search and rescue work has not achieved any results, and the missing deep submersible "Titan" has about 40 hours of oxygen support left.
Missing deep submersible, infographic
Inside the missing submarine: there is no stool, and the best seat for 5 people sitting cross-legged is the toilet
According to CNN reported on June 20, the eight-day journey was not easy, in order to visit the wreckage of the "Titanic", passengers had to pay $250,000 each, and they had to squeeze into a small cabin, the best seat turned out to be the toilet, and they had to reduce food and drink to avoid going to the toilet.
Submarine interior data map (Source: New York Post)
The small submarine, named "Titan", was designed for tourism by the American submarine exploration company Ocean Gate, and is claimed to be the only carbon fiber submersible in the world that can carry 5 people.
On Sunday, local time, Titan disappeared while visiting the wreck of the Titanic in the deep sea, with an estimated depth of 12,500 feet (3,810 meters).
The Titan is designed to carry only 5 people, and it takes at least 8 hours to visit the wreckage of the Titanic: two hours to dive, a few hours to explore the Titanic, and two hours to return to the surface.
Last year, the founder of tour operator OceanGate Expeditions showed CBS the interior of the Titan, one of which is about the size of a minivan carriage.
Submarine interior data map (Source: New York Post)
It is reported that most of the inside of the "Titan" is bare, only buttons and a screen on the wall, and most of the operation is carried out through a handheld controller.
There were no chairs and no seats inside, and everyone took off their shoes before going in and sat cross-legged on the floor.
The submarine does not have a special toilet, but there is a small toilet in the front, and it is said that "it is the best seat inside." When someone wants to go to the bathroom, they install a curtain to separate them and "turn up the music very loudly" to ensure privacy.
Still, according to the New York Post, the space can be described as "spacious" compared to other submarines.
Submarine interior data map (Source: New York Post)
Gallo, senior adviser, said the deep ocean is like another planet, a dark, cold, high-pressure environment. If the submarine is at the bottom of the sea, the temperature in the deep sea is very low, how to keep the human body warm is a big problem.
There were reports of search and rescue aircraft
It said that impact sounds were detected every 30 minutes
According to reports, an internal email of the US Department of Homeland Security obtained by the US media shows that a Canadian aircraft on a search and rescue mission reported that a "bang" similar to the impact sound was detected every 30 minutes in the waters near the deep submersible's disappearance. It is reported that after detecting the sound, the authorities deployed additional sonar equipment, and the sound has been continuing.
The internal document shows that P8 maritime patrol aircraft sent by Canada reported detecting "bangs" similar to impact sounds every 30 minutes in waters close to where the deep submersible disappeared. However, it did not disclose the specific time and reason for the sound. Several official agencies, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard, have not yet confirmed this claim. In addition, there is information that another Canadian P3 aircraft participating in the search and rescue work also found a white rectangular object in the water.
The deep-sea submersible of the "Gate of the Sea"
On the afternoon of the 20th local time, the Society of Explorers, which claimed that two members were in the missing deep submersible, said in a mass email that at 2 a.m. local time, sonar detected a knock, "which means that the people in the deep submersible may still be alive and are sending us a signal." ”
An official with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in an interview that oxygen support on the missing deep submersible will become weaker and weaker, "and it's really bad right now." ”
Expert Analysis:
The worst thing is that the deep submersible has "imploded"
There are reports that according to the current situation, the missing deep-sea submersible may have the following three scenarios.
First, it may be floating on the surface of the sea, waiting to be discovered.
It is reported that the deep submersible is designed to automatically surface in the event of a technical problem. Professor Stefan Williams, who studies unmanned submersibles at the University of Sydney, believes that the best case scenario is that the deep submersible has only lost contact due to communication failures, and is now floating on the surface. "But if that's the case, the deep submersible should have floated on the surface as expected." Williams added that that is becoming less likely over time. Former British Rear Admiral Chris Parry also analyzed that if the deep submersible has really surfaced, "then it should have been found." ”
Second, the deep submersible may have suffered a "catastrophic" implosion.
Williams believes that if the submersible does not float on the surface as expected, there may be a catastrophic failure. "This can be caused by conditions such as power failures. In the worst case, this could cause the crush-resistant hull of the deep submersible to rupture and trigger implosion. Williams stressed that the rate of internal eruption will be very fast, and the chance of survival is very small.
In addition to Williams, American oceanographer Dr. David Gallo also analyzed that the worst case scenario is implosion, "otherwise it is difficult to explain why the deep submersible disappeared so quickly." Gallo added that if that were to happen, the submersible could be located very close to where it last sent signals back to the surface.
"If the submersible disintegrates, some of the debris will sink to the bottom of the sea, some will surface, but very large pieces of debris may not be visible from the air." He explained.
Third, the deep submersible is entangled with the wreckage of the Titanic.
Frank Owen, a retired Australian Navy official and director of the submarine escape and rescue program, said that the wreckage after the sinking of the "Titanic" was not confined to one place, but scattered. The report quoted two experts as saying that the missing deep submersible may be entangled with the wreckage of the Titanic. However, it is not clear whether the deep submersible has reached the bottom of the sea.
Column editor-in-chief: Zhang Wu Text editor: Fang Ying Title image source: Tuworm Creative Photo editor: Xiang Jianying
Source: Author: Polar News