By: Pranav Sampath
On Tuesday, June 20th, I had just finished dinner when I heard something intriguing on the news. My dad watches the PBS NewsHour every evening. On this day, they were reporting on the disappearance of a submersible capsule named Titan. This was my first time hearing about such an expedition and it sparked my interest in this topic.
As I dove into this further, I learned that this was meant to be an expedition 13,000 feet below sea level to inspect the wreckage of the Titanic. The Titan was manufactured by a company called Ocean Gate that provides crewed submersible assets and expertise for military, research, and commercial purposes.
On the 18th of June, the submersible, carrying 5 passengers, began its quest to inspect the wreckage of the Titanic, approximately 400 nautical miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. Built using titanium, it was designed to withstand the extreme pressure and temperature conditions of the North Atlantic Ocean. This was not its first trip to the bottom of the ocean, and prior trips lasted eight hours.
Five passengers, including the CEO of Ocean Gate, began their descent. Approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes after the trip began, Titan lost communication with its support vessel. An international search and rescue mission commenced, ultimately ending on June 22 when the US Coast Guard announced that Titan had imploded underwater. Floating debris was discovered by rescuers and identified as belonging to the vessel. All five passengers were declared dead.
The British ocean liner Titanic has captured our imagination ever since its maiden voyage in 1912 which resulted in disaster when it struck an iceberg. It continues to inspire many movies and books.
This tragedy only strengthens the widely held belief that the Titanic is cursed. Despite advances in technology, we still have areas beyond our reach. The desire to explore sets us apart from other creatures on our beautiful planet, but we must never forget our limits. As I watched the events unfold over these past few days, I was filled with a sense of sadness, especially for the young boy on board. I hope we all learn from this catastrophe.