A Titanic tourist vessel that allows passengers to see an underwater of the Titanic wreckage goes missing in the Atlantic Ocean, hundreds of miles off the coast of the Canadian province of Newfoundland.
A developing story as of Monday, June 19, the U.S. Coast Guard led a search and rescue operation to find the Titanic tourist submersible, which can accommodate five passengers.
Titanic Tourist Vessel Missing
An animated stock photo of the Titanic. On June 19, it was reported that a Titanic tourist submersible went missing.
The said submarine called the Polar Prince was part of an eight-day trip where it departed from St. John's in Newfoundland. The vessel's owner told the BBC the Titanic tourist vessel transports submersibles to the Titanic wreckage site.
The tour firm OceanGate, which owns the vessel, reportedly said it is exploring all options to bring its crew back to safety. Other government agencies and deep-sea companies are also helping in the search and rescue mission.
Titanic Wreckage
The wreck of the R.M.S. Titanic is in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean at a depth of approximately 12,500 feet and about 370 nautical miles southeast off the coast of Newfoundland or between North America and the United Kingdom.
Just last month, a new underwater scan captured the Titanic wreckage, revealing its complete view, for the first time. A deep sea-mapping company was involved in the first-ever digital scan of the world's most famous shipwreck, according to NPR news.
How Did the Titanic Sink?
In April 1912, the Titanic set off from Southampton in England in a voyage to New York. However, the massive vessel, once considered as 'unsinkable,' did not reached its destination after disaster struck several days after its departure from the U.K.
On April 14 of that year, the said ill-fated ship collided with a giant iceberg and sank in less than three hours. Out of the total 2,200 passengers and crew aboard the Titanic, only 705 people survived, according to a report by the Pennsylvania State University, which acknowledged that material failures and design flaws caused the rapid sinking of the unsinkable ship.
Based on previous investigations, it was made evident that the cold waters of the North Atlantic Ocean flooded the Titanic when its side part struck the iceberg that caused a wide opening on the vessel. It was also reported it was split in half before it completely sank into the ocean.
Titanic Incident Depiction
Since the sinking of the world's largest ship ever built, the story of the R.M.S. Titanic caught the attention of shipbuilders and designers when it comes to improving the material and structural aspects of a vessel. Yet, it also captivated the imagination of the public in the decades to come.
One of its most famous portrayals is from the 1997 movie "Titanic," where the story of its wreckage was further magnified. It is also for this reason that tourist or commercial tours were made just to see the Titanic's wreckage, which was first discovered in September 1985.
Related Article: By 2030, Titanic Will Be Gone From its Watery Grave Due to Metal-Eating Lifeforms