Member-only story
The Titanic submersible, also known as the Titan, went missing on June 18, 2023, while on a dive mission to the Titanic shipwreck. The vessel was carrying five people, including the CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, a British billionaire adventurer, a French diver and explorer, and a father and son from Pakistan. The search and rescue efforts have been ongoing, but time is running out as the submersible’s oxygen supply is estimated to run out by Thursday morning.
There are three possible scenarios of what could have happened to the Titan, according to experts:
1. The Titan suffered a catastrophic implosion due to a breach in the pressure hull. This would have caused the submersible to collapse instantly under the immense water pressure at about 12,500 feet underwater. This is the worst-case scenario and there would be no chance of survival for the crew. A former employee of OceanGate had warned in 2018 that the viewing window on the front of the submersible was not built to withstand the required depth of 4,000 meters.
2. The Titan became tangled in the wreckage of the Titanic or some other debris on the ocean floor. This would have prevented the submersible from ascending to the surface or communicating with the surface. The crew could still be alive in this scenario, but they would be running out of oxygen and…