- The search for the missing submersible on its way to the Titanic continued on Wednesday.
- A French minister announced the dispatch of a deep-diving robot capable of reaching depths of almost 20,000 feet to assist in the search.
- However, the robot is expected to arrive on Wednesday night, just as the sub’s oxygen supply is running out.
A high-capacity robot with a depth capability of nearly 20,000 feet is en route to assist in locating the missing submersible near the Titanic wreckage. However, it is not expected to arrive until the sub’s oxygen supply is nearly depleted.
Hervé Berville, the French secretary of state for the sea, confirmed the deployment of the research vessel Atlante, as reported by French newspaper Il Figaro.
The Atlante is equipped with the Victor 6000, a remotely operated vehicle capable of conducting tasks and observations at depths of up to 19,685 feet, according to the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea.
The arrival of the Atlante is anticipated by 8pm on Wednesday.
However, this timeline means that the vessel will reach the search area just hours before the submersible’s oxygen reserves are depleted. The US Coast Guard has predicted that the crew’s oxygen supplies will run out by Thursday afternoon.
“We aim for the ship to arrive as quickly as possible,” expressed Berville, as stated in The Telegraph, adding that time is of the essence.
The submersible, operated by OceanGate Expeditions, lost contact with its main vessel within two hours of embarking on its journey to the Titanic, according to the US Coast Guard. Reports indicate that five individuals, including OceanGate’s founder and CEO Stockton Rush, were on board.
The status of the submersible and its occupants remains uncertain.
Experts speculate three possible scenarios: the submersible may be floating on the surface, awaiting discovery but unable to communicate; it could have suffered structural failure and collapsed; or it may be entangled in the wreckage of the Titanic.
An extensive search effort is underway, involving various equipment and vessels, including submarines, aircraft, and remotely operated vehicles.
The Titanic wreckage lies approximately 13,000 feet below sea level, considerably deeper than any previous undersea rescue operation. This presents challenges for a potential rescue mission, even if the submersible is located.
Other vessels crucial to the rescue operation are also en route to the site.
This includes a Royal Canadian Navy ship equipped with a six-person mobile hyperbaric recompression chamber, which could assist in treating survivors with decompression sickness, as reported by the BBC.
The arrival of this vessel is expected by midday on Thursday.
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