A fleet of powerful machines and submarines, considered the last hope of the crew of the tourist submarine Titan, has reached Canada.
However, there is now a pressing time constraint for these resources to aid the rescue team in their urgent search efforts. The assembly, consisting of winches, cables and unmanned vehicles capable of operating at depths of up to 19,000 feet, was transported to St. John’s airport in Newfoundland via three cargo planes of the United States Air Force.
Under police escort, the equipment was quickly transported to the port, where the Horizon Arctic, a waiting ship, was due to sail at midnight.
However, due to the 15-hour journey by sea to reach the search area where the five individuals remain trapped underwater, the arrival of rescue equipment becomes increasingly precarious as the critical point approaches. where the Titan’s air supply should be depleted.
The urgency of the situation intensifies as the frantic search for the men trapped aboard the lost Titan submersible enters a pivotal phase. Several ships have positioned themselves above the wreckage of the Titanic, but time is quickly running out for what could be the toughest underwater rescue mission ever undertaken.
Rescue teams find themselves in a race against time and the dwindling air supply to locate the five individuals stranded in the submersible at the site of the sinking of the Titanic. The Titan was deployed on Sunday morning but lost communication with the surface just two hours later.
Individuals believed to have been trapped in the submarine include billionaire Hamish Harding, French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood (48) who is a board member of the UK-based charity Prince’s Trust, and his son Sulaiman Dawood (19).
A large-scale operation, involving several countries, is currently underway to try to save the crew. In a significant development, during Tuesday’s rescue efforts, rescuers reported hearing “slamming noises”.
The Explorers Club, where Hamish Harding was a founding board member, has announced that there are promising indications suggesting signs of potential life.
As rescue teams scramble to achieve a miraculous result in the face of depleting oxygen levels on board, experts worry that even if the craft automatically resurfaces as planned, the crew of five people would still face the risk of suffocation within hours. their inability to manually open the hatch from the inside.
The submersible, capable of reaching depths of up to 19,000 feet, is expected to locate the Titan, which is believed to be around 12,000 feet below the surface.
To aid in the rescue efforts, three US Air Force C-17 planes, believed to be from North Carolina and New Jersey, landed at a cargo terminal in St. John’s, where they were met by six waiting flatbed trucks.
A military loader was employed to unload the equipment from the planes, after which a forklift was used to transfer it to waiting trucks. Among the loads was a large, bright red roll of thick cable accompanied by two large machines with blue frames and a prominent “high voltage” sign on the side.
Although the precise role of the cable remained uncertain, its significant length seemed suitable for reaching significant depths in the ocean. In addition, another load consisted of two heavy-duty Hyundai winches, each labeled with a “6000 kg line pull” designation.
To extract the Titan, weighing 10,432 kg, the two heavy-duty Hyundai winches would have to be used. One of the shipments consisted of a shipping crate bearing the words “Pelagic Research Services”.
This Massachusetts-based company specializes in deep-sea rescue tools. In a statement posted on its website, the company expressed its commitment to providing critical support to the ongoing rescue operation.
They said the PRS is currently mobilizing quickly and safely to assist with search and rescue efforts. PRS has expressed its utmost concern for the well-being of all affected by this emergency, including families, friends and relief personnel involved.
Although the specific contents of their cargo have not been disclosed, the company has various gear, such as the Odysseus 6K, which can descend to depths of 6,000 meters or 19,000 feet.