Tourist mini sub missing off titanic

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by unclebilly

I just read part of the coast guard release.

The rear cap of the vessel has been found. The debris is likely whatever stuff was in the way of it as it rapidly detached.

Terrible news... The worst possible outcome. RIP. And may their families find peace.

[berettafan]

Whoever wrote the online story for Fox needs to be fired. Incredibly unclear.


My thought is this is the best realistically possible scenario. Sound like the poor souls never knew what happened to them. Hopefully at least.

[911 Rod]

Very sad outcome.

[rfuerst911sc]

Hopefully death was swift and painless . RIP

[flatbutt]

If implosion then it sounds as merciful an end as one may hope under the circumstance.



edit for the truly macabre: is it likely that the remains are intact enough to recover for the families?

[LEAKYSEALS951]

This morning, all judgement aside, I was pretty bummed thinking about them running out of air on the ocean floor. Hell of a way to go. I was especially bummed thinking about the dad getting his kid into it. He would have been really kicking himself.

At least implosion was instantaneous. The wreckage will be found. There will be closure. None of this Malaysian flight 370 crap. In a thought of pure macabre insanity, I kind of hoped they crashed onto Titanic's hull. They paid the ultimate price, might as well get a front row seat.

[The Synergizer]

Well, probably like one of those eerie movies where the ghosts of the Titanic slowly come out of the portholes and greet them. Thinking they are still alive but confused, they turn around and see the remains of the mini sub. And then it dawns on them... Like a near death experience where you look down on your own body.

And meanwhile there's a crew member up top with the one last forgotten bolt for the hatch in his pocket thinking "Uh Oh..."

[Seahawk]

Very informative video in this link:

https://redstate.com/brutalbrittany/2023/06/22/wreckage-of-lost-titanic-sub-titan-confirmed-condolences-given-by-us-coast-guard-in-somber-briefing-n765482

I have to say the combined efforts from all the unified command countries involved is, as usual in search and rescue, about as good as it gets.

I have been there and tip my hat to all the men and women racing to save the stricken.

[Mahler9th]

RIP.

I have read a news story that indicated that Mr. Rush's wife is related to a couple that passed away in that same area in 1912.

Very sad.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Baz

My guess - pure speculation - is the vessel imploded on the descent and all passengers perished immediately.

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

Uhhhhh.... gut punch

I'm still praying for a miracle.

I think the implosion and instant death is probably about the best miracle that they could have hoped for at this point (vs long drawn out suffocation with 3 days of terror).

[masraum]

Originally Posted by jyl

At this point, implosion is - not good news, but the best of bad alternatives.

Exactly. 5 deaths is not good news, but 5 quick, merciful deaths compared to slow terror filled deaths is what I'd choose.

[jyl]

Originally Posted by masraum

Exactly. 5 deaths is not good news, but 5 quick, merciful deaths compared to slow terror filled deaths is what I'd choose.

Yes, and since there was no non-routine message before communication was lost (right?), it seems at least possible that the occupants might have had no pre-warning that anything was wrong.

In other words, it is possible that they died instantly, without having the slightest idea that anything was happening - their last thought being "this is going great, in another hour we'll be at the Tita---".

Like dying in your sleep. Which is, I'd think, the exit many of us would choose.

That's how I'm going to imagine things.

My impression, from very little reading, is that an implosion at say half the depth of the Titanic would leave no effectively human remains to recover.

[unclebilly]

Wreckage was found 500m from the bow of Titanic… hopefully they atleast got the see
The Titanic before things went terribly wrong. We may never know.

I really want to see what the imploded hull looks like… the video that Flatty posted has me wondering if the rapid compression of the air inside could have resulted in an explosion (like a diesel engine). I’ve never considered this before and may have learned something new… only 5750 psi though…

I know of 2 incidents where compressed air in an oil well has resulted in an explosion. One killed a former coworker, one killed an acquaintance. The difference was that these were in the presence of a liquid hydrocarbon.

[flatbutt]

The little experience I have with CF tells me that not much of the hull will have survived.

[stevej37]

[stealthn]

Sad, but expected

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__edp8NgPx0

New news keeps coming out, even the glass was not pressure certified to that depth and the manufacture of it to that level was turned down by the CEO.

At least some comfort is at least he went down with the ship too.

[Rick Lee]

I don't get it. Didn't James Cameron take a sub down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, like 6-7 miles? Why not use that sub for a mere two miles and change?

[unclebilly]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I don't get it. Didn't James Cameron take a sub down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, like 6-7 miles? Why not use that sub for a mere two miles and change?

The James Cameron sub wasn’t built on a shoe string and probably incorporated the advice of 50 year old white men with actual submarine experience…

[Mahler9th]

If I recall correctly, it has been reported that CF material was used to allow a more reasonable weight for a larger vessel-- one that could carry more people.

Another news story from the past (just prior to Pandemic):

https://www.geekwire.com/2020/oceangate-raises-18m-build-bigger-submersible-fleet-get-set-titanic-trips/

"This is shaping up as a rebuilding year for the nearly 11-year-old venture, based in Everett, Wash. The main task on the agenda is to build two new submersibles capable of diving as deep as 6,000 meters (3.7 miles), which is more than a mile deeper than the part of the North Atlantic ocean floor where the Titanic is resting.

OceanGate will take advantage of lessons learned during the construction of its carbon-hulled Titan submersible, which was originally built for Titanic journeys. Rush said tests that were conducted at the Deep Ocean Test Facility in Annapolis, Md., revealed that the Titan’s hull “showed signs of cyclic fatigue.” As a result, the hull’s depth rating was reduced to 3,000 meters.

“Not enough to get to the Titanic,” Rush said.

That meant the Titanic trips — which had been planned at first for 2018, then 2019, then 2020 — had to be put off until mid-2021. By that time, Rush expects the new submersibles to be ready to enter service. He said mission specialists who have paid more than $100,000 each to participate in the Titanic expeditions were “generally supportive but disappointed” by the delay.

Completing the latest funding round will open the way for proceeding with the Titanic trips and other expeditions on OceanGate’s agenda."

11 year old company at that point closed on $18m.

[UconnTim97]

Serious question. How deep was the vessel at less than the 2 hour mark when it lost communication?
Is that deep enough to cause a catastrophic implosion?
My simple math puts them at less than 900 ft below the surface if they happen to travel at the same speed the whole decent.