Four days after the disappearance of the “Titan” in the North Atlantic, the calculated time window is closed. According to previous information from the US Coast Guard, the crew ran out of oxygen in the diving pod. A rescue now seems impossible.
When Jamie Frederick stepped in front of the cameras on Tuesday, the U.S. Coast Guard dispatcher made a somber announcement: The “Titan” crew still has 40 hours of breathing air left in the missing submarine, he stoically explained. His statement is now over 40 hours ago. According to Fredericks, the closing time was 1:08 PM.
The hope of rescuing or even finding the five occupants alive is virtually nil. Experts say it is possible that the occupants could have reduced their consumption by lying still. But even if the “Titan” were located within these minutes, rescue would still be a long way off.
The salvage would be extremely complicated
“At this depth there’s really no way to get oxygen in,” oceanographer Tom Dettweiler told CNN Thursday. “There’s no opening or anything like that for oxygen to come in.”
The only solution would be to get the “Titan” up as quickly as possible, open the hatch and go to the people, said Dettweiler, who was involved in the search and discovery of the wreckage of the “Titanic” in 1985 .
Bringing the submarine to the surface from great depths would likely take several hours, the researcher emphasized. “We’re just dealing with a long distance and difficult conditions,” said Dettweiler.
“We keep hoping until the end”
One of the biggest problems is getting the equipment needed for a location and rescue in the search area. “It’s all very big, very heavy. It had to be flown there in cargo planes.” Only from there can the equipment be lowered onto ships. It’s a “massive effort”. Deep-sea researcher David Gallo told British broadcaster ITV that rescuing the captives would be “a miracle”.
The operator of the “Polar Prince”, the mother ship of the “Titan”, has been belligerent lately. “The equipment mobilized is the best in the world, the most powerful in the world,” Sean Leet told reporters in St. John’s, Canada, on Wednesday afternoon (local time). He added: “We will keep hope until the end.”
A few knocks gave hope to the rescue team, even if they couldn’t be definitively assigned to the missing persons. Tracking is incredibly difficult in the darkness of the deep sea. If the “Titan” floated near the wreck of the Titanic, it would be difficult to distinguish it from the wreck of the sunken luxury liner.
Those responsible waited eight hours
The submarine has been missing since Sunday morning (local time). The “Titan” was on its way with five people on board to the wreck of the “Titanic” that sank in 1912 at a depth of approximately 3,800 meters. Contact with the mothership was lost approximately one hour and 45 minutes into the dive.
According to reports, the “Titan” has experienced temporary communication breakdowns with the mothership during previous expeditions. This time, however, it must have been fatal. According to the US Coast Guard, those responsible waited eight hours before raising the official alarm – and in hindsight wasted precious time.
As Search Coordinator Frederick summed it up, “Sometimes we don’t find what we’re looking for.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
