Titanic tourist sub missing

[mk378]

Only small submarines can be built strong enough for the depth involved here. The Navy DSRVs are built for a depth of 5000 feet, since that is more than the crush depth of any Navy sub. If one were to sink in water deeper than that it would certainly crush and there would be no chance of rescue.

Certainly the US Navy has some other very deep water capable equipment, but it would be for missions that they want to keep secret like tapping undersea cables and salvaging enemy wrecks.

 

[Deleted member 89374]

There are people, their kids, their parents, their spouses, etc. If they don't care, at all, I would surprised.

I'm sure you know what I meant. Family and friends, sure. There would be something very wrong if they didn't. Everyone else? No, they don't.

Let me give you a simple example of how careless people are: There is a cat next to my house and we keep taking care of and because we already have two orange tabbies, we can't bring her inside. I contacted everyone in the neighborhood via email, and not one single person even asked about it, never mind help. I will end up having to take the cat to a shelter. People just don't care, and when you face people with the reality of that, they don't like it. This carelessness extends to their fellow men as well. That was the entire point of what I said.

As you can see, rescue efforts are well on the way:





This YouTube comment stuck with me and made chills go up my spine:

But yeah, they dead.

I hope they're found alive and well. Equally, I hope people would stop turning a tragedy into a tourist attraction. That, is truly appalling.

 

[Deleted member 89374]

Update: The Boston Coast Guard is coordinating the search and rescue efforts.

From the Sky News video from my previous post:

• A commercial submersible, the Sarah Jane, used for tourist trips to the Titanic wreck site has gone missing.
• The submersible is owned by a US company and is also used for scientific research.
• The Sarah Jane sends a safety ping every 15 minutes, but no pings have been received for over seven hours, triggering a search operation.
• The search operation is being coordinated by the Boston Coast Guard and involves navies from Canada and the United States.
• The submersible is equipped with drop weights that, if released, would allow it to float to the surface, assuming no catastrophic failure has occurred.
• The vessel carries survival provisions, including oxygen and clothing, designed to last for 96 hours in a rescue operation.
• However, a rescue by a military submarine would be extremely challenging due to the depth and currents at the location.
• The cause of the loss of contact is unknown, but it could be due to a malfunction or the submarine becoming entangled in the wreckage.
• The investigation and rescue operation will be difficult due to the remote location of the wreck site and the undulating nature of the seabed.
• The situation is concerning, and the longer the investigation goes on, the more at risk the people inside the submersible are.
• The hope is that the mothership has a standby craft that can investigate immediately, but it may take up to a couple of days to get there.
• The situation does not look good, and more information is needed before further speculation can be made.

 

[fdcg27]

Saw this on the BBC site while looking at their current coverage of the war in Ukraine.
Looks like the vessel would be able to survive the pressure unless the hull failed at some point.
It also would appear that there is life support for another two or three days.
Even if found in a disabled state on the ocean floor I'm not sure how the vessel could be raised or the persons aboard rescued.
An awful situation, but I doubt that anyone aboard thought that they were embarking on a risk free adventure.
Still, even if the submersible is intact but immobile, just sitting there waiting for the oxygen to run out would be shear horror for those inside.

 

[Deleted member 89374]

An awful situation, but I doubt that anyone aboard thought that they were embarking on a risk free adventure.

I think the people that embarked on this adventure did a very poor job assessing the risk they're exposing themselves to, and most likely went with the assurances of the company that sold them this "adventure". Therefore, I believe that no matter how this turns out, the legal aftermath will be epic, and most likely involve several lawsuits.

After watching some of the news channels out there, it seems that they might still be alive, but the clock is ticking and the rescuers don't even know where to look for them.

 

[andrew_j]

Unfortunately lost at sea . unless something floats to surface .

 

[Quattro Pete]

I think the people that embarked on this adventure did a very poor job assessing the risk they're exposing themselves to, and most likely went with the assurances of the company that sold them this "adventure".

Pretty sure there was a waiver.

 

[Deleted member 89374]

Pretty sure there was a waiver.

Waivers can't and won't stop litigation.

Unfortunately lost at sea . unless something floats to surface .

That's what the rescuers are hoping for, that they float to the surface. If they got entangled somewhere, it won't happen.

 

[stormgol]

the titanic is at 3800 meters deep. they say that sub can reach 4000 meters depth. james cameron subs on all his voyages to the titanic and bismarck had 6000 meters operating depth. something to consider. they should have gotten a better sub like cameron. their sub was subpar unfortunately.

 

[Rand]

the titanic is at 3800 meters deep. they say that sub can reach 4000 meters depth. james cameron subs on all his voyages to the titanic and bismarck had 6000 meters operating depth. something to consider. they should have gotten a better sub like cameron. their sub was subpar unfortunately.

"their sub was subpar"
I think your comments are premature. Nobody has any idea what has happened.. anything from mechanical failure to structural failure or getting hung up on wreckage/debris.

there is usually a pretty wide safety factor included, and this wasnt anything new its made trips in the past.

 

[fdcg27]

If this submersible is able to get to the depth of the Titanic wreck, as it has proven to be on past dives, then its depth capability is adequate to the task.
I would think that if it's merely a matter of blowing the tanks and maybe dropping a ballast weight, then the thing would be afloat in the North Atlantic right now.
Maybe it is, with those onboard experiencing what would have to be a very uncomfortable ride.
But if it were, surely it at least carries an EPIRB?

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

If this submersible is able to get to the depth of the Titanic wreck, as it has proven to be on past dives, then its depth capability is adequate to the task.
I would think that if it's merely a matter of blowing the tanks and maybe dropping a ballast weight, then the thing would be afloat in the North Atlantic right now.
Maybe it is, with those onboard experiencing what would have to be a very uncomfortable ride.
But if it were, surely it at least carries an EPIRB?

The last I heard was that EPIRB is not working. Possibly imploded for some reason. Remember the Space Shuttle and one lousy O-ring!

 

[alarmguy]

“
An awful situation, but I doubt that anyone aboard thought that they were embarking on a risk free adventure…”

Exactly, same goes for any adventure that pushes extremes.
17 dead or missing so far this year on Mount Everest alone.

A missing submarine makes a better news story for sure!

Everyone knows the risk of extreme adventures and most feel invincible.
I’m personally good with that, it’s free will and we live our lives to our enjoyment as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else.

 

[Vern_in_IL]

Well, if not found we might see it on the next Titanic sub tour!

 

[Dave Hess]

The last I heard was that EPIRB is not working. Possibly imploded for some reason. Remember the Space Shuttle and one lousy O-ring!

I’ve always wondered if the O-ring was in fact the cause of the explosion.

Same say it was a cool Florida day and temp affected the O-rings….

 

[fdcg27]

Exactly, same goes for any adventure that pushes extremes.
17 dead or missing so far this year on Mount Everest alone.

A missing submarine makes a better news story for sure!

Everyone knows the risk of extreme adventures and most feel invincible.
I’m personally good with that, it’s free will and we live our lives to our enjoyment as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else.

Everest is a different deal in that it is physically very demanding and a number of those who attempt it seem physically unequal to the attempt and unwilling to devote enough time and training for their attempts. Even worse is when these arrivistes end up needing Sherpas to rescue them from their folly with the Sherpas sometimes ending up dead.
This submersible journey would have involved the paying passengers merely being along for the ride.

 

[PimTac]

They probably need some assets out of Woods Hole. At that distance there may not be enough time.

 

[SC Maintenance]

at

I’ve always wondered if the O-ring was in fact the cause of the explosion.

Same say it was a cool Florida day and temp affected the O-rings….

It was sort of the o-ring. The issue was actually the cold weather, which caused some issues with the O-Rings. So really I blame either design or whomever decided to launch after the cold - it seemed they should have known better?

Good write up:

Challenger disaster | Summary, Date, Cause, & Facts

Challenger disaster, explosion of the U.S. space shuttle orbiter Challenger, shortly after its launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 28, 1986, which claimed the lives of seven astronauts, including Christa McAuliffe, who had won a national screening to become the first teacher in space.

www.britannica.com

"Feynman convincingly demonstrated the loss of O-ring resiliency by submerging an O-ring in a glass of ice water.) Under normal circumstances, when the shuttle’s three main engines ignited, they pressed the whole vehicle forward, and the boosters were ignited when the vehicle swung back to centre. On the morning of the accident, an effect called “joint rotation” occurred, which prevented the rings from resealing and opened a path for hot exhaust gas to escape from inside the booster. Puffs of black smoke appeared on the far side of the booster in a spot not visible to most cameras."

 

[4WD]

So the M/V Polar Prince towed it out?
- it may have an ROV spread …

 

[fdcg27]

at

It was sort of the o-ring. The issue was actually the cold weather, which caused some issues with the O-Rings. So really I blame either design or whomever decided to launch after the cold - it seemed they should have known better?

Good write up:

Challenger disaster | Summary, Date, Cause, & Facts

Challenger disaster, explosion of the U.S. space shuttle orbiter Challenger, shortly after its launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 28, 1986, which claimed the lives of seven astronauts, including Christa McAuliffe, who had won a national screening to become the first teacher in space.

www.britannica.com

"Feynman convincingly demonstrated the loss of O-ring resiliency by submerging an O-ring in a glass of ice water.) Under normal circumstances, when the shuttle’s three main engines ignited, they pressed the whole vehicle forward, and the boosters were ignited when the vehicle swung back to centre. On the morning of the accident, an effect called “joint rotation” occurred, which prevented the rings from resealing and opened a path for hot exhaust gas to escape from inside the booster. Puffs of black smoke appeared on the far side of the booster in a spot not visible to most cameras."

Feynman was a physicist and probably had as much expertise in solid fueled rocket engines as you or I.
Morton Thiokol engineers had recommended to NASA that the launch be delayed since they could not guarantee the safety of the sealing O-rings at the forecast low ambient temperatures expected for launch.
NASA was committed to a very aggressive launch schedule as a part of their having secured funding for the shuttle.
NASA bypassed the engineers and got the pencil pushing management types to overrule them.
The rest is history.