The OceanGate Expeditions company said that it was "mobilizing all options" to locate a submersible vehicle that set out to explore the wreckage of the Titanic.
Five people can dive deep into the Atlantic in this Titan submersible, according to OceanGate ExpeditionsImage: AP/picture alliance
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A submersible on a tourism expedition to explore the wreckage of the Titanic has gone missing off the coast of southeastern Canada, the private company that operates the vessel said on Monday.
OceanGate Expeditions said in a brief statement issued to the BBC and other media that it had lost contact with the submersible and was "mobilizing all options" to rescue those on board.
The regional branch of the US Coast Guard said that it was seeking a submersible vehicle in the Atlantic Ocean, somewhere around the site of the Titanic shipwreck.
"A US Coast Guard C-130 crew is searching for an overdue Canadian research submarine approximately 900 miles off Cape Cod," USCG Northeast said.
It said a Canadian plane with underwater detection capabilities was assisting in the search.
"The US Coast Guard is searching for a 21-foot submersible from the Canadian research vessel Polar Prince," it said a short while later, referring to Ocean Gate Expeditions' vessel.
"The 5 person crew submerged Sunday morning, and the crew of the Polar Prince lost contact with them approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes into the vessel's dive," the Coast Guard said.
"We are deeply thankful for the extensive assistance we have received from several government agencies and deep sea companies in our efforts to reestablish contact with the submersible," OceanGate Expeditions said.
Additional resources would arrive in the coming days, said Rear Admiral John Mauger, a commander for the US Coast Guard.
"It is a remote area, and it is a challenge to conduct a search in that remote area," he said. "But we are deploying all available assets to make sure we can locate the craft and rescue the people on board."
David Concannon, an adviser to OceanGate, said the vessel had a 96-hour oxygen supply starting at roughly 6 a.m. Sunday. He added that officials were working to get a remotely operated vehicle that can reach a depth of 6,000 meters (about 20,000 feet) to the site at the earliest.
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Titan sub typically seats five
According to company information, the vessel, named Titan, usually accommodates five people — a captain, an expert on the Titanic wreckage, and three guests, often paying ones. The tour lasts days and costs around $250,000 (around €230,000) per person.
OceanGate also takes archaeologists and other experts to the scene of the ship wreck to track decay at the site.
The Titanic's wreckage has been explored over many years now, with some of the best known shots of it (like this one) hailing from a 1986 dive with underwater camerasImage: WHOI Archives/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution/Handout/REUTERS
British billionaire and enthusiast thought to be on board
British businessman Hamish Harding, based in the United Arab Emirates, had written on social media on Sunday that he would be on board the sub.
"I am proud to finally announce that I joined [Ocean Gate Expeditions] for their RMS TITANIC Mission as a mission specialist on the sub going down to the Titanic," Harding wrote, noting that bad weather had been making it difficult to find windows for the dives.
Harding's company, Action Aviation, confirmed to the Associated Press that he had been on board.
Harding, who made his fortune in the business aviation sector in the Gulf, is something of an undersea exploration enthusiast. He is in the Guinness Book of World Records three times, with two of the records being the longest distance traveled at full ocean depth and the longest time spent at full ocean depth, both from a 2021 mission.
He and Victor Vescovo took the Challenger Deep two-man submarine to the deepest point of the Mariana Trench in the Western Pacific Ocean. It's some 36,000 feet (almost 11,000 meters) below sea level. By comparison, Mount Everest's summit is less than 9,000 meters above sea level.
The British-built Titanic, billed as the new benchmark in luxury cruising when it was built, famously sunk on its maiden voyage to the US in 1912 after hitting an iceberg.
The tale has been immortalized in several non-fiction and fiction books as well as the blockbuster film "Titanic" from 1997.
msh/rs (AFP, AP, Reuters)
The grand 125 year voyage of cruise ships
Seafaring for pleasure - 150 years ago that would have been absurd. People only crossed oceans when they absolutely had to. But, German ship owner Albert Ballin changed that by inventing sea cruise holidays in 1891.
Image: Hapag-Lloyd AG
Cruising for pleasure – a new chapter in seafaring
January 22, 1891 was an unpleasant day in Cuxhaven. The wind had picked up and the sea was rough. On board the "Augusta Victoria," many of the 174 passengers where battling to keep their stomachs calm. Lots of oysters in the dining room remained uneaten. But the following two months changed everything: the "Orient Expedition," the world’s first cruise ship voyage, was a massive success.
Image: Hapag-Lloyd AG
Born of necessity - heading to southern climes in winter
Albert Ballin’s idea to send the "Augusta Victoria" on a pleasure cruise to warmer climes was simply brilliant. The 144 meter (472 ft) vessel, in 1889 the world's biggest passenger ship, would otherwise have spent the winter docked in the harbor. During this time there was little demand for the usual transatlantic passage as the Northern Atlantic would have been too dangerous to travel.
Image: Hapag-Lloyd AG
The birth of holiday cruises
With his Mediterranean pleasure cruise in 1891, Ballin, then head of the Hapag shipping company, found a great business opportunity; there were customers for sunny destinations like Constantinople or Naples. And the officers on board no longer had to deal with desperate immigrants as passengers, but rather wealthy industrialists. It was a coup, setting Hapag apart from its competitors.
Image: Hapag-Lloyd AG
Passage to America was a matter of life and death
In order to fully appreciate Ballin's idea, it's worth looking at history. Ocean travel until the middle of the 19th century was anything but fun. In steerage, where people replaced freight that had come from America, conditions were very challenging. Epidemics spread and food was scarce. And worst of all, how long the boats would take to cross the Atlantic was unknown and variable.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/UPI
Millions leave Germany after 1850 to escape unemployment and hunger
Even if the sea gods were kind it would have taken roughly six weeks to reach the life-saving coast of America. If weather conditions were bad many passengers never even made it. Millions starved on board or sank on the difficult to navigate people-carrying cargo ships. The chance of actually reaching the much desired destination in the 19th century was a mere 50 percent.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/KNA
Sailing in style – the lady's salon on the "Augusta Victoria"
The situation only began to improve with the arrival of steam boats. In 1889, the launch of the "Teutonic" marked the first ever ocean steamer without sails to be taken into service. It belonged to the British "White Star Line," which was competing with other shipping companies for control of the Atlantic market. The aim was to keep improving on speed and comfort, at least in first class.
Image: Hapag-Lloyd AG
The set back caused by the sinking of the Titanic
When it entered service in 1912, the Titanic was the largest ship afloat in the world. It wanted to set new standards in luxury passenger facilities and service. But on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York it collided with an iceberg and sank. 1514 of the 2200 passengers died in one of the deadliest commercial peacetime maritime disasters in modern history.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/DB Ulster F & T Museum
Sea cruises today are hugely popular and affordable
Progress can not be stopped. Over time both the number of cruise ships and passengers increased. In 2015 some 22 million people worldwide went on a cruise. And as it turns into a mass business the prices sink. In Germany you'd currently have to shell out about 1,500 euros (1,634 USD) for a voyage on the high seas - 30 percent cheaper than five years earlier.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. Weißbrod
Floating palaces: FlowRider and iFly on the "Quantum of the Seas"
A library on board? That was yesterday - in 2016 it's all about surf simulators, IMAX cinemas and 10 storey high water slides. Herbs for the gourmet meals are grown in the ship's own greenhouse and robots mix drinks at the bars. In 2016, 11 new super class cruise ships are to be launched worldwide, with suites measuring up to 360 square meters. But 1,500 euro will not get you far here.
