A large ship that can lay pipes and cables at depths of up to 3,000 meters provides some hope for the five-person submersible that has gone missing in the North Atlantic. Deep Energy, a Bahamas-flagged specialty ship, is currently assisting in the search for the vessel, which has been missing since Sunday.
The rescue ship is visible in the middle of the Atlantic in the first image from the location of the lost Titanic sub-search. The Titan’s oxygen supply is currently down to just 20 hours.
Yesterday’s Coast Guard announcement that ‘banging’ sounds had been heard underwater ignited a sliver of optimism. Although it’s unclear if the sound was caused by the submersible, it has suddenly taken center stage in the mission.
The job of Deep Energy is to send out remotely controlled submarines to search for the Titan. They have so far been unable to find any indication of it or the source of the banging.
Approximately 11,000 feet deeper than many US and British Navy subs can dive, the Titanic debris is 12,500 feet under the water. Eight additional vessels, in addition to Deep Energy, are traveling to the location, which is located 400 miles southeast of Newfoundland and 900 miles east of Cape Cod. The search is also being conducted with a number of C-130 aircraft and Boeing Poseidon P-8 aircraft.
Rear Adm John Mauger said on an appearance on CBS on Wednesday morning that as long as there is an opportunity for survival, search and rescue crews will continue to look for the sub. 10,000 square miles of the ocean’s surface have now been scoured by the Coast Guard in vain. The Titan being “bobbed” on the ocean’s surface is their main goal.
The His Majesty’s Canadian Ship Glace Bay, which is en way and equipped with a decompression chamber, would presumably be hoisted with it in such case. The rescue effort becomes more difficult if the Titan is submerged and unable to surface.
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The first step for the rescue teams is to locate it and guide a hoisting rope 2.5 miles underwater. If they are able to secure a hoist or claw to the sub, they will need to elevate the ship gently enough for the 400 times greater underwater pressure to cooperate. The Titan can only be opened from the outside once it is on the surface.
