Many of us have an obsession with the story of the Titanic. Whether because of the 1997 James Cameron movie or because we all grew up learning about the “unsinkable” ship at some point or another, the love and dedication to learning about her is very real—so real, in fact, that some take rides on submersibles to go and see what the once great ship looked like, and that’s why we’re currently dealing with a situation.
A sub named Titan, which is part of the OceanGate Expeditions tour, takes five passengers on a ride to see what is left of the Titanic. According to their website, the expeditions are meant to document the ship in her current state, as she is decaying. “After the successful expeditions to the wreck in 2021 and 2022, OceanGate Expeditions will continue to return annually to further document the Titanic and its rate of decay.” Right now, the 2023 expedition has gone missing.
Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood, and his son, Suleman, are the only three members of the submersible expedition that have been named thus far, with two other people still on board. The sub went on its voyage with 96 hours of oxygen, filled with patrons who spent a quarter of a million dollars to be there, and no one knows where it is.
Making the situation even worse, the sub has to be bolted shut from the outside, so even if this team were to pop up to the surface of the ocean thanks to the sub’s emergency features, they’d still need someone else to find them to get free—and get oxygen. All around, it’s a situation that sounds like a nightmare.
No thank you, deep sea look at the Titanic
On the one hand, I do get the appeal. I am a millennial. My love of the Titanic as a historical ship comes from thinking that Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) lost his life making sure the love of his had her time. Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) wasn’t actually on the ship, but that doesn’t mean our love for this bit of history is wrong. It does, however, make things like Titan a little frightening (and on the nose).
The sub lost contact starting on Sunday, less than two hours into their journey. The crew had 96 hours of air to keep them going, and it has currently been less than 48 hours. There is hope that rescue crews can locate the team and bring them to safety without issue, but the current problem is rushing to deploy a vessel that can explore deep enough to look for the sub, in the event it’s still by the ocean floor.
As of right now, we just don’t know what is going to happen, and the idea of being trapped in a sub that’s been bolted shut is … well, horrifying.
(featured image: Paramount Pictures)
