An operation is underway to locate the “Titan” submarine that was used to give tourists a close-up look at the wreck of the Titanic and disappeared earlier today Monday in the Atlantic Ocean, 600 kilometers off Newfoundland, Canada.

The company OceanGate Expeditions, which is one of the only companies to offer underwater tours of the famous wreck, says it is receiving extensive help locating the submarine from various government agencies and deep-sea companies as it tries to regain contact with the missing vessel and “bring the crew back safely.”

The submarine

Photo Source: OceanGate Expeditions

Although the mission began in Canada, the Boston Coast Guard told the BBC it was leading the operational investigation.

British explorer among the passengers?

Among the passengers is considered likely to be a British explorer, Hamish Harding, who revealed yesterday that he was to take part in the final OceanGate mission on the Titanic, according to the BBC. He wrote on social media that the dive was attempted on Sunday, with the crew having set off from St John’s, Newfoundland last Saturday. He added that the ship’s team includes “some legendary explorers, some of whom have made over 30 dives on RMS Titanic since the 1980s.” He also mentioned that this trip is “probably the first and only manned mission to the Titanic” this year due to harsh weather conditions.

The characteristics of the submarine

The sub can carry up to five people, according to the company, and typically has a captain, three guests who pay for the unique experience, and what it calls a “content specialist.” However, it remains unknown so far how many people were on board when it disappeared.

It descends to a depth of 4,000 meters and the survival time in it for the five-member crew is 96 hours. It also travels at three knots, or about 3.5 miles per hour, according to the BBC.

Titanic

It is equipped with a built-in platform from which the submarine is launched and returned before and after each dive

A full wreck dive, including descent and ascent, reportedly lasts eight hours.

In addition to transporting people to the Titanic wreck, it is used for field survey and inspection, research and data collection, film and multimedia production, and deep-water hardware and software testing.

250,000 euros for a guided tour of the Titanic

The cost of this unique “opportunity to step out of everyday life and discover something truly extraordinary” as the company OceanGate Expeditions says, in the famous wreck of the Titanic, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912 after colliding with an iceberg, reaches the sum of 250,000 dollars with the mission lasting eight days.

The wreck of the Titanic has been extensively explored since it was discovered in 1985. It is in two parts, with the bow and stern separated by about 800 meters (2,600 ft). At the same time, a lot of debris surrounds the boat cut in two.