In a harrowing turn of events, the Titan submersible vessel, which went missing during an expedition to the wreck of the Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean, has reportedly exhausted its oxygen supply. The fate of the five passengers aboard remains shrouded in uncertainty.
The ill-fated journey began two days ago on June 22nd when the Titan embarked on its mission to explore the haunting depths that hold the remnants of the legendary Titanic. However, tragedy struck as the vessel mysteriously disappeared, leaving a cloud of distress and worry in its wake.
Recent reports indicate that the oxygen reserves within the 21-foot submersible, aptly named Titan, have been depleted. According to NBC News, a Coast Guard official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the breathable air inside the submersible would have been entirely consumed by 7:08 AM ET on Thursday. With the passing of this critical deadline, concerns for the well-being of the five individuals onboard intensify.
“As you probably know, the sub had 96 hours of emergency oxygen when the passengers embarked on their voyage on Sunday to survey the Titanic wreckage at the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean. The vessel, owned by OceanGate expeditions, vanished in the waters off Newfoundland and has not resurfaced.
“Some experts believe the passengers may have tried to preserve what’s left of the oxygen in an effort to save their lives,” the Coast Guard official stated.
Oceanographer Jules Jaffe told NBC,”If they were imagining that they would run out of oxygen, the smart thing to do would be to reduce your metabolic effort and perhaps lay very still.”
Yet, the Coast Guard maintains the oxygen is already gone.
Meanwhile, the desperate search for the sub continued Wednesday as rescuers rapidly expanded the area in which they were searching, which was twice the size of Connecticut.
That zone was where Canadian aircraft detected possible banging noises coming from inside the missing sub indicating apparent signs of life, but Coast Guard officials warned that the sounds were inconclusive.