There was no global positioning system (GPS) aboard the submarine. These days, even motorcycles in Pakistan come equipped with GPS at a price of Rs.5,000.
In a shocking turn of events, Titan, an OceanGate submarine, is causing more confusion than my small brain can handle. The highly anticipated OceanGate submarine mission to visit a depth of 3,800 meters, where what was once the renowned Titanic building now lies in rust.
The low, low price of $250,000 per head is all it takes to encounter this lethal trap. The submarine carried 5 people, including its inventor, Stockton Rush. This costly and risky trip has been criticized for its questionable analytical claims and for its grandiose goal of offering a rare look at the wreckage of the historic ship. You may watch dozens of documentaries for free on YouTube, or you can pay $250,000 to see the same thing on the screen of a submarine.
The communication with the submersible was lost one hour and 45 minutes into its dive, and it did not resurface at its scheduled time. A massive search and rescue operation is underway, involving multiple countries and agencies, but the chances of finding the submersible and its crew alive are slim.
One of the illogical facts about this incident is that the submersible was diving to a depth of about 3,810 metres (12,500 feet), which is beyond its rated limit of 3,000 metres (9,800 feet). This raises questions about the safety standards and procedures of OceanGate Expeditions, and whether they were putting their customers at risk for profit.
Another illogical fact is that the submersible had only four days of breathable air supply, which is insufficient for such a remote and hazardous location. If something went wrong during the dive, as it apparently did, there would be very little time for rescue or recovery.
The causes of the incident are still unknown, but some possible factors are mechanical failure, human error, environmental hazards, or sabotage. The submarine was operated with a Logitech gaming controller (second warning sign) similar to a PlayStation controller.
There have been reports that some whistleblowers had raised serious safety concerns about the Titan submersible before the incident and that they were fired by OceanGate Expeditions.
There was no global positioning system (GPS) aboard the submarine. These days, even motorcycles in Pakistan come equipped with GPS at a price of Rs.5,000.
If there are survivors on board, they are likely to be trapped in an atmosphere that is gloomy, stuffy, and reeking of bodily fluids. Some of them are probably unconscious and/or insane from listening to the creaking of the submarine as it moves and strikes other items. They may have discomfort in their backs and chests from sitting for so long as there is no space to stand. There must be people who blame the inventor Stockton Rush if not actively trying to harm him. In other words, it’s safe to assume that their daily lives are unbearable.
There have also been reports that some banging noises were heard from the submersible’s location, but their source and meaning are unclear.
As the OceanGate submarine incident continues to unfold, it becomes evident that the businessmen behind this venture may have succumbed to a misguided pursuit of fame and fortune. The decision to spend millions of dollars on a mission to explore a shipwreck from over a century ago, coupled with questionable analytical claims, highlights the need for a critical reassessment of priorities in the realm of deep-sea exploration and environmental stewardship.