Rescue teams are in a race against time as they search for the missing submarine before the crew's oxygen supplies run out.
The tourist submarine used to make various expeditions to the wreck of the Titanic, which is located 3,800 meters below sea level, but something went wrong and it disappeared along with the tourists on board, without leaving a trace.
Ships from all over Europe have joined the effort to save the Titan submarine. Rescuers had reason to be optimistic Wednesday after they reported hearing underwater noises in the Atlantic. However, they pointed out that the soundings did not confirm that the crew was alive, and experts also raised questions about what happens if the submarine is found - and what equipment will be needed to retrieve it.
A popular Mexican travel YouTuber, Alan Estrada has reminisced about his trip to visit the Titanic wreck aboard the Titan. Estrada told the BBC that everyone on the expedition "was fully aware of the risks they were taking".
While it is too early to say what happened to the ship, experts have raised questions about whether all the proper safety precautions were followed.
Stockton Rush, CEO and founder of OceanGate, Titan's creator and the company that ran the expeditions, is among the missing. Rush has decades of engineering experience and has been leading expeditions to the wreck of the Titanic since 2021 - this was his fifth time.
On board the submarine were 5 people: the well-known entrepreneur Shahzada Dawood, his son, Suleman, the British businessman and explorer, Hamish Harding, the diver Paul-Henry Nargeolet, as well as the CEO of OceanGate.
According to industry experts and former passengers, the Titan expedition was extremely dangerous due to the depth of the ocean. If this is difficult to conceptualize, this illustrative video may help:
This is why the #Oceangate Titan submersible search is so difficult. The depth of the ocean is staggering pic.twitter.com/Jiz6dCtDGg
— Tom Munns (@TomMunns1) June 21, 2023