The US Coast Guard has launched a search and rescue mission to find the submersible taking researchers and tourists to the underwater wreck of the Titanic after it was reported missing Monday, June 19.
The five-person carbon-fiber submersible was owned and operated by OceanGate Expeditions, which recently announced new mission crews for a North Atlantic trip on social media.
There are no confirmations yet if there were any crew or tourists aboard the submersible when it went missing.
The Titanic made her maiden and only voyage bound for New York when she hit an iceberg, split in half, and sank in 1912. More than 1,500 of its 2,200 passengers and crew perished aboard.
The incident came months after the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution released never-before-seen footage of the Titanic's wreckage in February. The footage was captured when the WHOI made 11 dives nearly 12,500ft (3,810m) below the ocean surface of the Atlantic in 1986.
OceanGate is a private company that deploys submersibles for deep-sea expeditions. It charges potential tourists $250,000 for a slot on their expeditions to the Titanic wreckage.
The company announced earlier in June it would be using Elon Musk's internet service Starlink to provide internet and communication connectivity during its expeditions. However, there are no clear reports of whether a communication difficulty played any role in the vessel going missing.
This is a developing story. Please check back on HNGN later for more updates.
