Titanic Submarine

[aburks41]

What a wild story. Unironically, the best case scenario for them would have been an implosion at depth so it was an instantaneous way to go out. But it's eerie to think that they could potentially just be stuck somewhere in the wreckage with 48 hours of oxygen left.

One of the craziest stats I heard was that more people have been to outer space than have reached the ocean depth that the Titanic is at.

 

[alphasigko]

$250K to take this trip to 12,500 ft ocean depth? These people obviously have more money than sense. I agree that implosion is probably the cause, and definitely the humane way for them to go. May they rest in peace.

 

[navery12]

Some of the info coming out about this submarine is unbelievable. It sounds more like a high school science fair project than an actual company

 

[CTBasketball]

They usually can detect implosions underwater from eons away, they likely would’ve known that by now.

12,000 feet also isn’t that deep for a tiny submersible, I would guess collapse depth is a lot higher. They could just be sitting on the bottom of the ocean until the oxygen runs out.

 

[asteinindc]

CBS Sunday did a show on it and it is, indeed, surreal. It has only one button "like an elevator" and is made with "off-the-shelf components" from "Camper-World." they run it with a game controller. WTF?

 

[Chuck]

What a wild story. Unironically, the best case scenario for them would have been an implosion at depth so it was an instantaneous way to go out. But it's eerie to think that they could potentially just be stuck somewhere in the wreckage with 48 hours of oxygen left.

One of the craziest stats I heard was that more people have been to outer space than have reached the ocean depth that the Titanic is at.

The movies just write themselves:

• Tragedy movie: The sub is caught on something. While trying to plan an escape, the crew also contemplates their lives. In the end, the ship is stuck on a piece of fishing net that could easily be cut if not for the depth that they are at. The sub's captain wanted a remote arm added to the sub for just such a situation, but the company's owner didn't want to spend the extra $150k. That owner is now stuck on the sub (true) wishing he had spent the money. Ending can go tragic, happy, or hybrid.
• Horror movie: The ghosts of the Titanic pulled the sub into a vortex and the passengers are trying to fight their way out of the ship. But when they get to the end, they realize that they have to stay because they are, otherwise, walking into the ocean at 12,500 feet. Some stay, but one decides to implode themself.
• Supernatural or superhero. The ship has found a trench or hole under the titanic. Somehow, a prehistoric meteor contained a substance that has turned the titanic passengers into mer-people and they have a society down there. Do the passengers stay or go? All go, except one that has fallen in love with the great grandson of John Jacob Astor.
• Comedy. Bill Murray can pull it off!

 

[aburks41]

They usually can detect implosions underwater from eons away, they likely would’ve known that by now.

12,000 feet also isn’t that deep for a tiny submersible, I would guess collapse depth is a lot higher. They could just be sitting on the bottom of the ocean until the oxygen runs out.

I read that someone on the mothership would have likely been able to hear it if it imploded, without any sort of acoustic equipment. I guess it would be like a bomb going off and sound travels well underwater?

 

[AZHuskiePop]

$250K to take this trip to 12,500 ft ocean depth? These people obviously have more money than sense. I agree that implosion is probably the cause, and definitely the humane way for them to go. May they rest in peace.

I just listened to the Story of the last moments of the Russian Sub Kurst
They used actual notes from a sailor in the last compartment to flood. Although that was only in 375ft. of water knowing the futility of your fate had to be insane.
I also remember the Story of the US sub I. Believe there was a movie of the event as it sunk at Depth and was crushed by the immense pressure on its irreversible downward plunge .
Other than freezing to death on Everest , an Artic ice flow , or even cold ocean water like Titanic passengers , thats a terrifying end to me. I have a very inquiring nature but nothing could get me in a sub two miles underwater. The pressure at that depth allows for zero malfunctions and limits possibility of rescue even in the case of a fairly minor one .

 

[uconnfan68]

CBS Sunday did a show on it and it is, indeed, surreal. It has only one button "like an elevator" and is made with "off-the-shelf components" from "Camper-World." they run it with a game controller. WTF?

They would have used that game controller to go the moon if it had been available.

 

[husky429]

I have a friend from childhood who is a nuclear engineer on navy subs. He just referred to this sub as like "taking a '91 accord off-roading and being surprised it got stuck"

 

[HuskyHawk]

I have a friend from childhood who is a nuclear engineer on navy subs. He just referred to this sub as like "taking a '91 accord off-roading and being surprised it got stuck"

Which reminds me of one of the more amazing feats on Top Gear, crossing the English Channel in a Nissan pickup truck (and not via the tunnel). But they had rescue boats if it went down. This has just no margin for anything to go wrong, and it's likely to go wrong.

 

[Scrutiner]

There is some mystery here and very little transparency.

I read a story this morning about a UK rescue sub that's waiting in the Guernsey Islands ready to be flown to Newfoundland to assist but supposedly the US government hasn't given the go ahead as they'd rather use a US sub.

Three questions were raised about the subs and the potential for a successful rescue:
1. Since it's international waters there should be no need for US government approval. They could just drop in and offer to help.
2. The US sub in question is limited to 3,000 meters depth while the UK sub is good to 5,000 meters. The Titanic is at 3,800 meters. If it were you that needed to be rescued, would you want the attempt made by a sub that can't get within 800 meters of you, or would you prefer the one that can go 1,200 meters deeper than the depth at which you're located?
3. The whole point may be moot as it may have already been crushed.

 

[dogpause]

The hatch can only be opened from the outside.
If power was lost, the temperature is probably in the 30's.

 

[nomar]

The hatch can only be opened from the outside.
If power was lost, the temperature is probably in the 30's.

Nightmare fuel

 

[CL82]

There is some mystery here and very little transparency.

I read a story this morning about a UK rescue sub that's waiting in the Guernsey Islands ready to be flown to Newfoundland to assist but supposedly the US government hasn't given the go ahead as they'd rather use a US sub.

Three questions were raised about the subs and the potential for a successful rescue:
1. Since it's international waters there should be no need for US government approval. They could just drop in and offer to help.
2. The US sub in question is limited to 3,000 meters depth while the UK sub is good to 5,000 meters. The Titanic is at 3,800 meters. If it were you that needed to be rescued, would you want the attempt made by a sub that can't get within 800 meters of you, or would you prefer the one that can go 1,200 meters deeper than the depth at which you're located?
3. The whole point may be moot as it may have already been crushed.

This just seems like a very unlikely scenario to me. I would guess that it is far more likely that they would send down remote vehicles to cut whatever the sub was snagged on, since that's the most likely culprit, if it has not imploded.

If someone had offered me the opportunity to make this trip, I think I's have done it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not ponying up $250,000 to do it, but but if someone comped me, I would've thought pretty hard about it. There is a presumption that people know what they're doing. We make those assumptions every time we board a plane. It does seem like there weren't a lot of safety redundancies. One would think you'd put a separately powered sonar pinger on this thing so it would be easier to find.

Still hoping for a miracle ending, although that seems unlikely at this point.

 

[superjohn]

They spent $250K a pop to be locked in a tube and dropped to the bottom of the Atlantic to slowly die.

There's probably better ways to spend your money.

 

[NJHusky]

what's insane to me is that there isn't a tracking mechanism to know where it is. they shouldn't need to try and locate it. I doubt it's crushed, as it was designed to be at this depth, and has been before. It obviously can't surface, which leads me to believe it's caught on something...prob got too close to the Titanic

It's crazy to think there is a submersible that can get to 5k meters and it's not being used...for whatever reason.

 

[navery12]

This just seems like a very unlikely scenario to me. I would guess that it is far more likely that they would send down remote vehicles to cut whatever the sub was snagged on, since that's the most likely culprit, if it has not imploded.

If someone had offered me the opportunity to make this trip, I think I's have done it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not ponying up $250,000 to do it, but but if someone comped me, I would've thought pretty hard about it. There is a presumption that people know what they're doing. We make those assumptions every time we board a plane. It does seem like there weren't a lot of safety redundancies. One would think you'd put a separately powered sonar pinger on this thing so it would be easier to find.

Still hoping for a miracle ending, although that seems unlikely at this point.

I'll never see that amount of money so I can't say whether or not I'd want to throw it away on a trip to the bottom of the ocean. I lean towards no because it just doesn't seem that interesting even for free. But I can confidently say I'd back out of the trip when they pulled out an Xbox controller to start the mission

 

[Chin Diesel]

I read that someone on the mothership would have likely been able to hear it if it imploded, without any sort of acoustic equipment. I guess it would be like a bomb going off and sound travels well underwater?

Sound travels very far underwater.

Also, I've read several reports stating the submersible has a fail-safe which forces it to the surface should anything go wrong. It also has a beacon which is supposed to release and go to the surface.

Other articles I've read have suggested it may physically be entangled in the wreck or some other object on the bottom.

Personally, if I'm spending that kind of cash, I'd prefer a tethered line between the submersible and the mothership. Something with communication lines and oxygen. Of course, I was shocked Kobe flew in helicopters around LA not equipped with crash avoidance equipment which is highly desirable technology in a mountainous region known for heavy fog.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Canadian aircraft detects underwater noises during search for missing submersible, US Coast Guard says

The submersible had a 96-hour oxygen supply when it went to sea at about 6 a.m. Sunday. Rescuers are working to locate the vessel.

www.usatoday.com

 

[Chin Diesel]

Water rescue expert theorizes missing Titanic tourist submarine ‘entangled’ on wreckage

A water rescue expert spoke on Fox News about his theory of what may have happened to a missing tourist submarine that was exploring the wreckage of the Titanic.

www.foxnews.com

 

[dogpause]

what's insane to me is that there isn't a tracking mechanism to know where it is. they shouldn't need to try and locate it. I doubt it's crushed, as it was designed to be at this depth, and has been before. It obviously can't surface, which leads me to believe it's caught on something...prob got too close to the Titanic

It's crazy to think there is a submersible that can get to 5k meters and it's not being used...for whatever reason.

Radio signals don't work in water, but maybe a device that repeats an audible sound could've been used.

 

[Chin Diesel]

In race against clock, expanding fleet of ships searches for submersible lost near Titanic wreck

The U.S. Coast Guard says a search covering 10,000 square miles has turned up no signs of a missing submarine off New England.

apnews.com

CBS News journalist David Pogue, who traveled to Titanic aboard the Titan last year, said the vehicle uses two communication systems: text messages that go back and forth to a surface ship and safety pings that are emitted every 15 minutes to indicate that the sub is still working.

Both of those systems stopped about an hour and 45 minutes after the Titan submerged.

“There are only two things that could mean. Either they lost all power or the ship developed a hull breach and it imploded instantly. Both of those are devastatingly hopeless,” Pogue told CBC on Tuesday.

The submersible had seven backup systems to return to the surface, including sandbags and lead pipes that drop off and an inflatable balloon. One system is designed to work even if everyone aboard is unconscious, Pogue said.

 

[aburks41]

In race against clock, expanding fleet of ships searches for submersible lost near Titanic wreck

The U.S. Coast Guard says a search covering 10,000 square miles has turned up no signs of a missing submarine off New England.

apnews.com

CBS News journalist David Pogue, who traveled to Titanic aboard the Titan last year, said the vehicle uses two communication systems: text messages that go back and forth to a surface ship and safety pings that are emitted every 15 minutes to indicate that the sub is still working.

Both of those systems stopped about an hour and 45 minutes after the Titan submerged.

“There are only two things that could mean. Either they lost all power or the ship developed a hull breach and it imploded instantly. Both of those are devastatingly hopeless,” Pogue told CBC on Tuesday.

The submersible had seven backup systems to return to the surface, including sandbags and lead pipes that drop off and an inflatable balloon. One system is designed to work even if everyone aboard is unconscious, Pogue said.

Yeah...I'm leaning 99.99% they imploded, 0.01% chance they are bobbing around the surface somewhere and the USCG just hasn't spotted them yet

 

[noeynox]

Get you 2 or 3 miles worth of steel cable and keep it tethered or some shot geez.