Missing Titanic-bound submarine, carrying 5 people, has just 70 hours of life support left

OceanGate Expeditions organised the voyage to view the wreck of the Titanic

A massive search is underway for a tourist submarine that has gone missing in the Atlantic. The OceanGate Expeditions submarine was carrying five people to view the wreckage of the Titanic when it disappeared on Sunday morning. Contact with the submarine was lost only an hour and 45 minutes into its dive.

The US Coast Guard has said that the submarine may have only 70 hours of life support left as search continued past its first day, according to The New York Post. The vessel usually carries a four-day emergency supply of oxygen on each dive.

“We’re doing everything we can do to locate the submersible and rescue those on board,” Rear Admiral John Mauger told reporters.

“In terms of the hours, we understood that was 96 hours of emergency capability from the operator, and so we anticipate that there’s somewhere between 70 to the full 96 hours available at this point.”

Tour operator OceanGate confirmed its vessel had gone missing off the coast of Newfoundland. It said all options are being explored to rescue the tourists who have gone missing in the Atlantic. Each tourist paid $250,000 for an eight-day dive to see the wreck of the Titanic onboard the submersible.

In 2021, OceanGate Expeditions, a private company, began what it expected to become an annual voyage to chronicle the deterioration of the iconic ocean liner that struck an iceberg and sank in 1912.

As part of the massive search and rescue mission, several ships and airplanes have been deployed in case the submarine is spotted but cannot make contact with the coast guard.

(With inputs from AP)