The Coast Guard is still searching for the small underwater vessel that went missing Sunday morning as it made its way to see the wreckage of the Titanic, which sank in 1912. As of Tuesday morning, there has been no reported contact from passengers on the vessel.
The wreckage site, located in a remote area of the North Atlantic Ocean, has been visited by OceanGate Expeditions annually for the past three years. Here's what we know about the missing submersible and who was on board.
How and when did the ship go missing?
The Titan was launched on Sunday morning from a hired Canadian research icebreaker, Polar Prince. The dives were part of an eight-day, seven-night package.
The submersible went missing on Sunday, and was unable to communicate with the surface world within hours and 45 minutes later after it began its descent, the Coast Guard said.
Who was aboard the ship? What kind of people were on board the ship?
The Coast Guard said there was one pilot aboard plus four mission experts, or passengers who paid to go on the Oceangate Expeditions journey.
One of the passengers was British businessman Hamish Harding, who is chairman of Air France Air France, according to action aviation. Harding holds three Guinness World Records and performed on a 2022 Blue Origin flight to space.
Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, members of a prominent and rich Pakistan family, were also on board. We are very grateful for the concern shown by our colleagues and friends and would like to request everyone to pray for their safety while granting the family privacy at this time, Dawood said in a statement to the Associated Press.
The name of the pilot and fourth mission specialist have not been made public.
In an archived version of the company's website, this OceanGate Expedition runs for $250,000 per person, not including the cost of personal travel. No diving experience is necessary to book the trip, the website says, but it s helpful to have a robust pair of sea legs. The Titan's goal was to examine the damage caused to the Titanic and the surrounding ecosystem.
The remains of the Titanic are partially destroyed by a metal-eating bacteria called Halomonas Titanicae, according to the Smithsonian.
How deep is the wreckage of the Titanic?
In 1912, about 1,500 people lost their lives when the Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg. The ruins of the ship, which is about 2.4 miles below the surface, are about 12,000 feet below the surface.
David Concannon, a consultant to OceanGate, said the submersible had a 96-hour oxygen supply starting at about 6 a.m. Sunday. As soon as possible, officials said, officials were working to get a remotely controlled vehicle that can dive to a depth of about 20,000 feet to the site.
Concannon said the oxygen supply would run out on Thursday morning if the submersible stays below water.
A submersible is a scientific tool used for scientific analysis.
Unlike submarines that leave and return to their port by their own power, submersibles require a ship to launch and recover them. The expedition was led by OceanGate's Canadian research icebreaker, Polar Prince, which was outfitted as a support vessel for the expedition.
What are rescuers saying?
The Coast Guard's commander, Rear Adm. John Mauger, said more rescue resources would arrive in the next few days.
It's a remote area - and it's a challenge to conduct a search in that remote area, he said. But we are deploying all available assets so we can locate the craft and rescue the people on board.