A Submersible for Taking Tourists to See the Titanic Is Missing

A submersible designed to take tourists underwater to view the wreckage of the Titanic has gone missing and a search is now underway for the craft in the waters of the North Atlantic.

The missing boat, whose disappearance was first reported by the BBC, belongs to a company called OceanGate, which promotes extreme undersea adventures to high-paying tourists. The U.S. Coast Guard is also assisting with the search and rescue effort, according to the New York Times. It is not clear exactly when the submersible went missing or how many people could be aboard.

In a statement received by Rolling Stone, OceanGate said the company referred to missing crew members. It said, “Our entire focus is on the crew members in the submersible and their families,” adding: “We are exploring and mobilizing all options to bring the crew back safely.” The company also offered thanks for “the extensive assistance we have received from several government agencies and deep sea companies in our efforts to reestablish contact with the submersible.”

The company had been posting about a journey to see the Titanic wreckage on social media in recent days. Its last tweet was dated June 15. A description of that adventure on the company’s website describes how tourists, for a fee of $250,000, can join in on an “eight-day expedition to dive on the iconic wreck that lies 380 miles offshore and 3,800 meters below the surface.”

The submersible on that voyage has a capacity of 5, including crew.

CBS correspondent David Pogue took a voyage with the same company a year ago and recalled that the submersible at one point lost contact with the surface ship for “a few hours.”

Pogue added that there are reasons for hope: “First, they have 96 hours of oxygen on board,” he wrote. “Second, they have SEVEN different ways to rise to the surface—multiple redundant ballast and air-bladder systems.”

This is a developing story …