Search For Missing Titanic Expedition Vessel With 5 Aboard Continues

BOSTON, MA — The U.S. Coast Guard in Boston is continuing its search Tuesday for a submersible vessel with five people on board. The vessel was on an expedition to the wreck of the Titanic and lost contact with the surface.

The vessel, named Titan and operated by OceanGate Expeditions, was reported overdue Sunday night after diving to the wreck, located about 900 nautical miles off the coast of Cape Cod.

Rear Adm. John Mauger, commander of the First Coast Guard District, said in a press conference that it's a challenge to conduct a search operation in such a remote location. The vessel was at a depth of 13,000 feet to explore the wreckage.

"Our thoughts are with the crew members and the families of those on board the submersible at this time," he said. "We are doing everything we can do to locate and rescue those on board."

The First Coast Guard District tweeted that Canadian research vessel the Polar Prince and the Coast Guard's 106th Rescue Wing continued to do surface searches throughout Monday evening.

Two C-130 flights have been completed by the Coast Guard's Air Station in Elizabeth City. Canadian P8 Poseidon aircraft continued surface and subsurface searches into Tuesday morning.

Mauger said that in addition to launching aircraft to conduct surface and subsurface searches using sonar, they are coordinating with the Canadian Coast Guard and armed forces to "deploy additional assets to the scene."

The The 21-foot submersible has a 96-hour oxygen supply (4 days), and there should be at least 53 hours left as of 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The crew submerged on Sunday morning, and lost contact with the ship that carried the vessel about 1 hour and 45 minutes into the vessel’s dive, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, Northeast.

Officials have not identified the five people aboard as of Monday evening, and said a pilot and four "mission specialists" were aboard.

U.K. businessman and explorer Hamish Harding said on Sunday that he was part of the expedition along with Titanic research specialist Paul-Henry Nargeolet of France.

Harding posted on his Instagram page that he was on the expedition as a "mission specialist."

David Concannon, an advisor to OceanGate, told the Associated Press that officials were working to get a remotely-operated vehicle that can reach a depth of 20,000 feet to the site as soon as possible.

The AP reports that this expedition was OceanGate's third annual voyage "to chronicle the deterioration" of the once-splendid Titanic, which has been in the watery depths since 1912. Since the wrecked ocean liner's split remains were discovered in 1985, a metal-eating bacteria has been consuming the ship according to the report.

The initial group of tourists funded the expedition by spending anywhere from $100,000 to $150,000 per person, reported the Associated Press.

Currently, a ticket to one of the expeditions can cost up to $250,000 according to the BBC.