Where did the OceanGate submersible leave from?
On June 18, 2023, the OceanGate submersible went missing and its complete wreckage has yet to be located.
However, recent findings on Thursday have provided some evidence suggesting that the vessel may have imploded.
The submersible embarked on its expedition from St John’s, Newfoundland in Canada on Friday, June 16.
At the time of its disappearance, the submersible carried a total of five passengers and was equipped with an emergency oxygen supply that could last for 96 hours.
Despite extensive search and rescue efforts, the mission to locate the vessel faced numerous challenges due to the difficult wreckage location, adverse weather conditions, and the deep ocean depths.
The construction of the Titan submersible included a failsafe mechanism designed to bring the vessel to the ocean surface in case of power failure.
However, it is worth noting that the doors of the submersible were locked from the outside, which meant that the passengers could only exit the vessel with external assistance.
Within the submersible, there was a single toilet, which also served as the only seating area onboard.
The vessel did not possess GPS capabilities, and the sole means of communication with the surface ship was through text messages.
For those wishing to embark on a journey to explore the Titanic wreckage using the Titan submersible, the cost for such a trip amounted to $250,000.
The OceanGate submersible imploded on its third trip to the Titanic
The Titan submersible had a history of three voyages since 2021, with its ultimate demise occurring on its third dive to the wreckage.
Prior to that, it had successfully completed approximately 50 dives and even explored the depths of the waters surrounding the Bahamas.
According to Metro, the submersible also underwent several tests in a pressure chamber to evaluate its capabilities.
Despite its extensive testing, the vessel had encountered issues during previous trips.
Where did the OceanGate submersible leave from?
Notably, reporter David Pogue, who had been part of an expedition, recounted that the submersible lost communication with the main ship within just two and a half hours.
It is important to clarify that Pogue was not inside the vessel itself but in the control room.
OceanGate, established by Stockton Rush in 2009, was the company responsible for manufacturing the Titan submersible.
The company is headquartered in the Everett waterfront in Washington. In addition to the Titan, OceanGate also developed another vessel called Cyclops 1.
In 2018, when debris from the OceanGate Titan was discovered, a professional trade group issued a warning regarding the company’s experimental design approach, citing potential “catastrophic” outcomes.
The tweet mentioned the depth and pressure that the vessel was subjected to.
During pre-voyage tours with NASA and the University of Washington, Rush would explain to passengers that the Titan was developed.
CBS correspondent and former passenger David Pogue revealed that a significant portion of the vessel’s structure consisted of off-the-shelf parts, a cost-saving measure during construction.
In a 2018 counterclaim lawsuit, former OceanGate employee David Lochridge stated that he was terminated from the company due to expressing concerns about the vessel’s safety.
The company subsequently filed a lawsuit against Lochridge, accusing him of contract breach, fraud, and misappropriation of trade secrets.
An open letter published in The New York Times exposed that Rush had been warned about the potential catastrophic issues in 2018 during the vessel’s construction.
The Marine Technology Society also criticized the company’s marketing strategy, specifically questioning their claim of adhering to the safety standards of DNV-GL.
Contact with the Titan submersible was lost in 1 hour 45 minutes
On June 18 at 12 pm, the Titan submersible embarked on a dive with five passengers on board.
Unfortunately, communication with the vessel was lost after only 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Concerns were immediately raised when the submersible failed to resurface at its scheduled time of 7 pm.
An overdue vessel report was promptly submitted to the Coast Guard, prompting the initiation of a search and rescue mission the following day.
Both U.S. and Canadian ships and planes joined the effort, deploying sonar buoys capable of monitoring depths of up to 13,000 feet below the ocean’s surface.
Assisting in the mission was a French robot known as Victor 6000.
Equipped with remotely controlled arms, Victor 6000 was capable of cutting cables and performing other necessary tasks in the event that the submersible became trapped or stuck in any way.
Its involvement aimed to aid in the search and potential rescue of the Titan submersible and its passengers.
