Sub Full of Passengers Exploring Titanic Wreckage Mysteriously Disappears; Search-And-Rescue Mission Prompted
A terrifying mystery, thousands of feet deep into the Atlantic Ocean, sent the US Coast Guard on a search and rescue expedition looking for a missing submarine on Monday.
A submarine carrying several travelers sent to explore the wreckage of the infamous Titanic passenger liner has gone missing — prompting a search-and-rescue mission to investigate the strange disappearance of the touristy expedition.
Specs provided by OceanGate Expeditions — the firm in charge of the missing underwater vessel — describe the submersible as capable of holding up to five people with a 96-hour oxygen limit. The Daily Mail noted that the search and rescue mission is working against a 60-hour timer before oxygen runs out.
Three-time Guinness World Record holder Hamish Hardish — a British explorer and aviator — is among the crew of missing passengers.
A lifeboat windlass on the boat deck of the RMS Titanic in covered in rusticles, iron extruded by bacteria on wreck.
Talk About Nightmare Fuel ...
Following the announcement of the search and rescue mission, OceanGate released a statement to drive home the urgency and enigma behind the disappearance.
"Our entire focus is on the crewmembers in the submersible and their families," the statement read in part.
"We are deeply thankful for the extensive assistance we have received from several government agencies and deep sea companies in our efforts to re-establish contact with the submersible."
The expedition looking at the Titanic's wreckage took off from St. John's in Newfoundland. The voyage's duration was slated for eight days.
Measuring 22 feet long with the internal capacity of a "minivan," the sub can dive as deep as 13,123 feet, according to OceanGate.
Several government agencies are working together to locate the missing sub. The Coast Guard dispatched a C-130 transport aircraft and a Canadian P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft to look for the disappeared submersible.
A.U.V.s explore the wreck of the Titanic (Getty Images)
Imagine braving a trip to go thousands of feet into the ocean depths, only to have your vessel succumb to the rough conditions of traveling underwater. Absolute terror.
The BBC report notes that the sub's pressure hull typically carries the submariner (captain), three guests and one person designated to shoot content amid the tourist attraction.
OceanGate Expeditions charges a cool $250,000 per seat for the frightening privilege of exploring the Titanic's wreckage.
Titanic's Wreck Remains As One of the 20th Century's Biggest Tragedies
Remembered as one of the greatest disasters of the 20th century, the Titanic sunk in 1912 after colliding with an iceberg. An estimated 1,500 passengers of the 2,240 aboard the ship died from the collision.
Two additional expeditions to the Titanic's wreckage were planned for the rest of the year. Notably, OceanGate cited rough conditions as the reason for the limited trips.
The depth of the Titanic's wreck goes as far as 13,000 feet beneath the Atlantic's surface.
Just weeks after the harrowing scene that left 18-year-old Cameron Robbins stranded in shark-infested waters near the Bahamas comes a new terror meant to remind us how treacherous the ocean can truly be.
A spare anchor sits in its well on the forepeek of the shipwrecked Titanic. (Getty Images)