On June 18, 2023 a crew of five were launched on board the Titan submarine to see the Titanic shipwreck. The crew set sail 900 miles off the coast of Newfoundland. This vessel’s programming included a ping that could send its location out every 15 minutes. The crew’s protocols required it to resurface at 3pm, so when they did not resurface the crew raised an alarm to the authorities. The Polar Prince lost all communication with the submarine, about an hour and 45 minutes before the planned dive; the ship carried only 96 hours worth of oxygen. The authorities announced the disappearance of the Titan on June 19th, which triggered a media frenzy. A Canadian aircraft detected “banging” noises within the search area over the course of 30-minute intervals. The connection between the underwater noise detected during the search and rescue operation, as well as the location of the debris on the seabed was later found not to be established.
On June 22, 10 days after the Titan launched the authorities confirmed that the dead remains of the passengers and debris from the vessels were found at the bottom of the sea floor. The Titanic submarine suffered a catastrophic explosion and the crew members died on impact. It is important to remember the courage of the five crew members, and this incident serves as a reminder of the dangers of exploring the unknown depths of the ocean.
