Current:Home > MyWhat happened to the missing Titanic sub? Our reporter who rode on vessel explains possible scenarios-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
What happened to the missing Titanic sub? Our reporter who rode on vessel explains possible scenarios
View Date:2024-12-24 00:34:13
As search and rescue teams continue to comb the North Atlantic for a missing submersible that vanished on a trip to the Titanic wreck site, "CBS Sunday Morning" correspondent David Pogue gave insight as to what might have happened to the vessel.
Pogue, who was aboard the Titan for a story last year, said the vessel should be bobbing on the ocean's surface given that features allow it to rise from the depths of the sea without electricity, even if everyone aboard is passed out.
But if it isn't floating, he said, that "could only mean two things: either they got snagged on something on the bottom of the sea, which is pretty unlikely. There's nothing there but the Titanic. Or there was a breach in the hull and it instantly imploded."
The Titan, operated by Washington state-based company OceanGate Expeditions, left for its Titanic trip with five people on board, including at least three paying passengers. The U.S. Coast Guard is leading the search for the vessel about 900 miles east of Cape Cod and around 400 miles southeast of Canada's Newfoundland coast, where it started its dive on Sunday morning.
At this point, hope is "quickly fading," Pogue said, because while the vessel theoretically has four days' worth of oxygen, that supply has never been tested.
"Nobody's ever measured it," he said, noting that half of the supply is now theoretically gone since Tuesday marked two days since the submersible and crew of five lost contact on Sunday.
The U.S. Coast Guard said later on Tuesday that the vessel has about 40 hours of breathable air left.
Even if the vessel is on the surface, it cannot be opened from the inside, so air supply would still be an issue, Pogue said, adding, "we need to find them."
No one has ever been inside the vessel for four days, Pogue said. An expedition to the Titanic site usually lasts 10 to 12 hours, with about two and a half hours spent descending to the Titanic wreck and a few hours spent exploring before resurfacing. But Pogue said "things go wrong all the time in this business," and that one attempt he made to see the wreck site last year "only lasted 37 feet down" before the vessel encountered a mechanical problem and had to be hoisted out of the water.
The Titan is the only five-person vessel in the world that can reach Titanic depths 2.4 miles below the ocean's surface — and submersibles like it are "one-offs," Pogue said.
"It's not like iPhones [where] there are thousands of them that they can perfect," Pogue said. "There's one of it," and some parts of the vessel are improvised.
Pogue noted that, in international waters, vessels like the Titan operate without inspections or certifications from third-party organizations. Although he said that like with a rocket launch, there are meticulous checklists and briefings.
It would be "devastating" if the vessel is deep underwater because even if it is found, there is no way to rescue those aboard.
"The deepest submarine rescue ever performed was 1,500 feet. ... This is 13,000 feet. There's no other craft that can get down there in time," Pogue said.
He said there are only three or four machines in the world that can go to that depth, noting they take weeks to prepare and are not on site.
He also said it is "really bad" that the vessel lost signal two-thirds of the way down to the ocean floor, which likely means something "catastrophic" happened.
The Coast Guard said the last recorded communication from the sub was about an hour and 45 minutes into Sunday's dive.
Alex Sundby contributed to this article.
- In:
- RMS Titanic
veryGood! (5361)
Related
- Panel advises Illinois commemorate its role in helping slaves escape the South
- Is Victor Wembanyama NBA's next big thing? How his stats stack up with the league's best
- Matthew McConaughey and wife Camila introduce new Pantalones organic tequila brand
- Devastated Harry Jowsey Reacts to Criticism Over His and Rylee Arnold's DWTS Performance
- Pentagon secrets leaker Jack Teixeira set to be sentenced, could get up to 17 years in prison
- Many in Niger are suffering under coup-related sanctions. Junta backers call it a worthy sacrifice
- The Masked Singer Reveals a Teen Heartthrob Behind the Hawk Costume
- Scientists discover hidden landscape frozen in time under Antarctic ice for millions of years
- Arbitrator upholds 5-year bans of Bad Bunny baseball agency leaders, cuts agent penalty to 3 years
- Escaped Virginia inmate who fled from hospital is recaptured, officials say
Ranking
- Get Your Home Holiday-Ready & Decluttered With These Storage Solutions Starting at $14
- The last Beatles song, 'Now and Then,' finally arrives after more than 40 years
- Federal officials say plan for water cuts from 3 Western states is enough to protect Colorado River
- Is Victor Wembanyama NBA's next big thing? How his stats stack up with the league's best
- Man waives jury trial in killing of Georgia nursing student
- Falcons coach Arthur Smith shrugs off NFL inquiry into Bijan Robinson not being on injury report
- Rep. Jamaal Bowman charged with falsely pulling fire alarm in Capitol Hill office building
- Biden says he 'did not demand' Israel delay ground incursion due to hostages
Recommendation
-
Social media star squirrel euthanized after being taken from home tests negative for rabies
-
Enrique Iglesias Shares Rare Insight on Family Life With Anna Kournikova and Their 3 Kids
-
Many in Niger are suffering under coup-related sanctions. Junta backers call it a worthy sacrifice
-
49ers QB Brock Purdy lands in concussion protocol, leaving status for Week 8 in doubt
-
What Happened to Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone Character? John Dutton’s Fate Revealed
-
Trump isn’t accustomed to restrictions. That’s beginning to test the legal system
-
Russian drone debris downed power lines near a Ukraine nuclear plant. A new winter barrage is likely
-
Book excerpt: Devil Makes Three by Ben Fountain