The submarine that disappeared while exploring the wreck of the Titanic is running out of air.
On board are the submarine captain, one of Pakistan’s richest men and his teenage son, a British billionaire and a French explorer, reports British media.
– From what I understand, there are life support systems for 96 hours – then there are approximately 48 hours left, says Bo Rask, former head of the Swedish submarine force.
The submarine expedition to explore the wreck of the Titanic set sail early Sunday morning. The 8-day trip at a depth of approximately 3,800 meters is carried out by daring tourists off the coast of Newfoundland in Canada. But already after an hour and 45 minutes, the outside world lost contact with the small submarine.
A major search effort, led by the US Coast Guard, is now struggling to find the craft – while the air on board is rapidly running out.
Could be stuck in the Titanic
Bo Rask is the former head of the Swedish submarine force and has a long career under the surface of the water behind him. According to him, the submarine may have been stuck in the wreck of the Titanic, although he emphasizes that it is currently speculation based on his many years of experience.
– What I’m thinking is that you may have had a leak, power failure or electrical fire. The second thing that comes to mind is that they got stuck on the bottom of the Titanic, he says.
That theory is strengthened by the fact that this actually happened on a previous occasion. In connection with the filming of a documentary about Titanic, a similar submarine got stuck in the wreck, reports The Guardian. According to Rask, the lack of oxygen combined with the low temperatures at the bottom can mean a deadly combination for the travelers.
– When you breathe air in a closed space, the oxygen content decreases and when you breathe out, the carbon dioxide increases and it is not a good combination. In addition, it is very cold at these depths – and this is a deadly combination, he says.
Here are the people on board
A total of five people are on board the approximately 6 meter long submarine.
• Shahzada Dawood, one of Pakistan’s richest businessmen.
• Sulaiman Dawood, Shahzada’s 19-year-old son.
• Paul-Henry Nargeolet, French explorer and former soldier in the French navy.
• Hamish Harding, British billionaire and CEO of the company Action Aviation in Dubai.
• Stockton Rush, founder and director of the Oceangate company that owns the mini submarine.