I’d like to consider myself to be pretty in tune with current events and breaking news. Even if it means I’m learning about these events from TikTok at first. But when I tell you nothing could have prepared me for the news stories and chaos all over the web this week (especially on TikTok and Twitter), I mean nothing. If you don’t know what I’m referencing here, I’m talking about that missing submarine. You know, the one people are going on to see the remains of the Titanic in…13,000 feet down.
I had no idea this voyage was even happening, TBH. Probably due to the fact that I am terrified of the ocean, but that’s beside the point. What I do love is the Titanic. (Yes, I was one of those Titanic-obsessed kids growing up, and I sort of still am.) So, once I found out this was all related to the Titanic, I became even more invested. There’s a voyage to the Titanic? How many times has the Titan even been to the Titanic?
But first, a little bit of background. Some people are a whole lot braver than I am and decided to truly showcase their fascination for the Titanic. So, five people (one pilot and four crew) decided to pay $250,000 each to go in a submarine, called “The Titan,” to the bottom of the ocean floor to see what was left of the Titanic. However, not even two hours into their journey, the submersible lost contact with the support ship that transferred the vessel to the site.
What makes this even more eerie is that this is not the first time The Titan has been to the Titanic. OceanGate Expeditions (I’m sorry, but the name OceanGate sounds like a news story waiting to happen) which organizes the trip has had three successful missions to the wreck in 2021 and 2022. So, it really makes you wonder what went wrong with this voyage.
As explained on OceanGates’ website, the Titan is a 5-Person Submersible. It can travel 4,000 meters (13,123 feet), and has a life support of 96 hours for 5 crew members. Additionally, under the “Titanic Expedition” tab, it states 18 dives were planned for the Summer of 2023.
Since losing contact with its mothership, the Polar Prince, on Sunday, June 18, there have not been many revelations since then, sadly. The Coast Guard tweeted this on Monday, June 19:
On Tuesday, Coast Guard Officials said the submersible had “about 40 hours of breathable air left.” The most recent update in the story is from June 21. The Coast Guard tweeted this:
If you are like me and are interested in following this story, I would recommend following the Coast Guard on Twitter and having CNN open on your computer for updates.