Mysterious Disappearance of Titanic Tourists Deepens as Rescue Efforts Face Challenges

In a baffling turn of events, hope wanes for the five wealthy Titanic tourists who vanished while exploring the wreck aboard the mini submarine, "Titan." As the submarine abruptly fell silent hundreds of miles off the Canadian coast, the lingering question remains: What exactly transpired during their ill-fated journey? Regrettably, it is possible that the truth may forever elude us. With the submersible, Titan, going silent around 13,000 feet underwater, adjacent to the Titanic, the passengers included a British billionaire, one of Pakistan's wealthiest individuals, his son, a feigned French explorer, and the CEO of the diving company. Embarking on their voyage early on a Sunday, carrying 96 hours of oxygen, the crew has not been heard from since.

Submarine experts concur that five potential accidents are the most likely causes for their disappearance. Among these scenarios, the submersible becoming entangled in the wreckage of the Titanic itself appears to be the most obvious explanation. The Titanic, having split into two sections upon sinking in 1912, now lies amidst a vast debris field on the seabed. Navigating this wreckage is an extremely hazardous endeavor, as attested by those who have ventured into its depths. It is plausible that the pilot of the submersible became disoriented, potentially due to interrupted communications, leading to the craft becoming ensnared. Another explorer described how an abrupt undersea current swept his submarine into the wreck, momentarily trapping it. While Titan is equipped with drop weights that can be deployed to provide extra buoyancy and potentially free it from entanglement, if it is stuck within the Titanic, the crew's options would be severely limited, leaving them to rely on external assistance. Sonar has picked up a banging noise, which may be the trapped crew attempting to attract attention by knocking on the hull of the sub. However, despite rescue efforts, the craft remains elusive.

An alternate possibility is that Titan experienced a power outage or equipment failure. The submarine relies on batteries to power its communications, and a failure of this nature could explain the loss of contact with the surface. These batteries also power the engines, lights, and heating. In the event of a catastrophic failure, the sub would be left motionless in complete darkness, exposed to freezing temperatures. In such circumstances, experts warn that the cold could prove more fatal than the lack of oxygen.

Concerns have been raised regarding the sub's quality after one passenger withdrew from the expedition due to apprehensions about the company's potential shortcuts in construction. The passenger discovered that scaffolding poles were being used as ballast, and a video game controller was employed for steering. Consequently, he demanded a refund. An engineer from Ocean Gate also quit previously, citing safety concerns regarding the structural integrity of the sub. Additionally, an industry body penned a letter in 2018 criticizing the company's experimental approach. If the sub indeed lost power, locating it becomes more challenging, and there remains the significant hurdle of bringing it back to the surface without functional engines. While resurfacing may still be plausible, there are no indications of the vessel's whereabouts.

G. Michael Harris, an experienced Titanic explorer, fears that a catastrophic implosion is the leading theory regarding the fate of the sub. At depths of ten thousand feet, where the pressure is 350 times greater than at the surface, a submarine's hull failure would result in the ocean's pressure crushing it and anyone inside it. Even a minor fault in the carbon fiber and titanium hull could have triggered such an accident. Concerns over structural fatigue led to the cancellation of Titan's three previous voyages. Ocean Gate, the owners, stated that the vessel had undergone repairs and was equipped with a sophisticated system to monitor the hull for any issues. However, if a sudden problem arose deep underwater, it is doubtful the crew would have had sufficient time to react and save themselves. A similar incident occurred in 2017 when the Argentinian Navy submarine ARA San Juan went missing in the San George Gulf. The wreck was located a year later, scattered deep on the seabed. The exact cause of the accident remains unknown, but it is believed that an electrical failure caused the sub to descend beyond its crush depth, leading to an implosion that claimed the lives of all 44 people on board. If a comparable scenario occurred with the Titan, the crew would have perished instantly.

Another potential threat is a fire on board, possibly triggered by water infiltrating the electronics. In 2019, a fire broke out in the battery compartment of the Russian submarine Losharik while it was submerged at a depth of one thousand feet. The crew valiantly fought the fire within narrow corridors, but tragically, 14 highly experienced and decorated submariners lost their lives. If a similar blaze were to erupt on the Titan, the outcome could be equally fatal. Even if the crew managed to contain the flames, the fire could still disable the electronics and deplete the oxygen within the cramped 21-foot craft.

Much remains unknown about the fate of the Titan and the individuals on board. If the sub can somehow reach the surface, there may be hope for their rescue. However, if it remains trapped at the ocean's depths, the chances of finding the crew alive diminish rapidly, leaving us with slim hope.