History is a pendulum.
As if little more than a century had not passed since those days in 1912 and GPS and artificial intelligence had not been invented, the United States Coast Guard, based in Boston (Massachusetts), once again crossed the waters to the rescue of a submarine with tourists that went out to explore the sunken remains of the Titanic in the North Atlantic, undoubtedly the most famous shipwreck in contemporary society, a myth of the vulnerability of progress.
Rear Admiral John Mauger confirmed that there were five people in the submersible, considered small, weighing 1,043 kilos, "a pilot in command and four specialists, which is the term operators use," he said. "You should ask the operator what that expression means," he replied during the press conference.
Contact was lost on Sunday near the location of the legendary wreck, which rests at a depth of 3,800 meters, 600 kilometers off the coast of Canada. The disconnection occurred one hour and 45 minutes after the dive.
A spokesman for the Canadian coast guard explained that they are participating in the rescue efforts, although he qualified that it is up to their colleagues in Boston to lead the operation. "It's technically in their waters," he said.
Mauger remarked that this contraption is designed with an oxygen capacity of up to four days, so "theoretically" its crew members have air for 70 to 96 hours. This is the horizon. "We are using this time to do the best at each moment," he stressed.
According to the BBC, which advanced the news, a ship carrying the submersible (unlike a submarine, it is not an autonomous ship) left on Saturday from St. John's, capital of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. This was indicated in a post on social networks by the 59-year-old billionaire businessman and British explorer Hamish Harding, so it is concluded that he was on board. Officially they did not want to give names or confirm them. Harding wrote that they were heading to the area of the famous wreck, some 900 nautical miles off Cape Cod, where the sub was to leave for an exploration dive.
On his Facebook he indicated that the immersion would be on Sunday: "A weather window has just opened."
Hamish, Guinness record holder for the longest time crossing the deepest part of the ocean in a single dive, has already been part of a space tourist on a Blue Origin commercial flight, an aeronautical company owned by Jeff Bezos. From his messages it follows that the Frenchman Paul Henry Nargeolet, an expert on the Titanic, is one of his traveling companions.
The device is managed by OceanGate Expeditions, a company that, among others, offers this adventure towards the legend. On previous excursions, travelers had to pay $250,000 for the experience, which lasts eight days. “We are exploring and mobilizing all the options to bring the crew members safe and sound,” the firm stressed in a statement.
Stock Rush, president of the company, told The New York Times a few months ago that private exploration was necessary to continue fueling public fascination with the remains of the famous disaster. "No public entity is going to finance a return to the Titanic," he said. “There are other sites that are newer and probably more scientific,” he added.
The Titanic was the ultimate modernity in navigation, described as an impossible ship to sink, until it collided with a block of ice on its way from Southampton (England) to New York. 1,500 people died and the legend was born.
For decades, the area where the Titanic sank was investigated with the best technology at the time. The remains were found in 1985, which created a fever.
The margin of 96 hours to locate the submersible, which is used for tourism, video and photography or for scientific missions, offered a margin of hope. But Mauder, in a realistic, pessimistic tone, pointed out that it is a remote area and "it is a challenge to search" in that vastness. "We are deploying all available resources to make sure we can locate the ship and rescue the people on board," she said.
He specified that the investigation is being carried out underwater, with sound buoys and sonar in the maritime search expedition, as well as on the surface, in case the device emerges and has lost the ability to communicate.
In this work, in which reinforcements are expected, private planes and boats are also participating, while Canada has sent a reconnaissance plane and an exploration submarine. "It's a very complex situation," Mauder added.
Although the countdown did not stop, another light emerged for confidence. The news of the lost submersible recalled a trip that OceanGate organized and that became a report on CBS.
Journalist David Pogue reported that communication was lost and that the device was missing for a few hours. Pogue took advantage of this Monday to remember this anecdote and spread his work. There he is seen reading what appears to be a disclaimer describing the submersible as an "experimental vessel."
It continues that "it has not been approved or certified by any regulator and may result in physical injury, disability, emotional trauma or death."
Then, looking at the camera and smiling, he asks: "Where should I sign?"
