A search is under way for a submersible which has gone missing in the Atlantic Ocean while taking visitors on tours of the Titanic wreck.
Lieutenant Jordan Hart of the US Coast Guard in Boston told CBS News there is a “search and rescue operation” underway off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, said a Canadian military aircraft and a Canadian Coast Guard vessel are assisting the search.
The Titanic shipwreck sits 12,500ft below the ocean surface, approximately 380 nautical miles from shore.
OceanGate, a company that uses submersibles for sea excursions, confirmed to CBS News that one of its subs was the subject of the search and rescue efforts.
“Our entire focus is on the crewmembers in the submersible and their families,” OceanGate said.
The firm added it is “deeply thankful for the extensive assistance we have received from several government agencies and deep sea companies in our efforts to establish contact with the submersible.”
OceanGate did not confirm how many were onboard or if there were any tourists among the missing.
In 2021, it began what it expected to become an annual voyage to chronicle the deterioration of the ocean liner, which struck an iceberg and sank in 1912.
The company said at the time that in addition to archaeologists and marine biologists, the expeditions also would include roughly 40 paying tourists who would take turns operating sonar equipment and performing other tasks in the five-person submersible.
The Independent has reached out to OceanGate and the US Coast Guard for comment.
The 1st District Northeast branch of the US Coast Guard is headquartered in Boston and is responsible for activities in North New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.
It is not clear where the submersible may have lost contact with OceanGate but the area where the watercraft went missing falls into the 1st District Northeat’s jurisdiction.
In recent years, trips to view the Titanic shipwreck have become increasingly popular. OceanGate offers people the opportunity to join a crew in a five-person submersible called The Titan for an eight-day voyage to view the historic shipwreck, priced at $250,000.
The Titanic sank in 1912 after hitting an iceberg while on its maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York. Of the 2,200 people onboard, more than 1,500 died.
The US passed the Titanic Maritime Memorial Act in 1986, marking the RMS Titanic as an international maritime memorial, allowing for reasonable research, exploration and appropriate salvage activities. So long as the research or exploration does not alter or disturb the Titanic, people may view it or research it.
