OceanGate Expeditions, the tour company responsible for the missing submersible with five people on board, took eight hours to report it to the Coast Guard on Sunday, DailyMail.com can reveal.
The company’s Titan submarine was submerged at 8 a.m. Sunday morning about 400 miles southeast of St John’s, Newfoundland. At 9:45 a.m. – an hour and 45 minutes into the dive – he lost contact with his mothership, the Polar Prince.
But it wasn’t reported missing to the US Coast Guard until 5:40 p.m., eight hours later. The Canadian Coast Guard was not alerted until later – 9:13 p.m. Sunday evening.
Now experts say the crew – who still have about 45 hours of oxygen left – have only a one percent chance of survival.
Former US Navy nuclear submarine commander Lt David Marquet told DailyMail.com this morning: ‘If I was advising the Prime Minister I would say their odds are one percent.
The Titan submarine is shown on Sunday morning, seconds before diving around 8 a.m. with five people on board
The Polar Prince is the expedition vessel used for the dives. He only alerted the coast guard at 5:40 p.m.
The wreck is 12,500 feet underwater. It is feared that the Titan is now trapped inside
Last year, the Titan lost communications with the mothership for two hours during a similar dive. He resurfaced and the incident was jokingly documented by a CBS reporter who was on board at the time.
The company has yet to explain why it took so long to alert the Coast Guard when the Titan lost communications on Sunday.
In a statement on Tuesday, he said: “For some time we have been unable to establish communication with one of our submersible exploration vehicles which is currently visiting the Titanic wreck site.
“We are fully focused on the welfare of the crew and every possible measure is being taken to bring all five crew members back safely.
“We are deeply grateful for the urgent and extensive assistance we are receiving from several government agencies and ocean-going companies as we seek to re-establish contact with the submersible.
“We are praying for the safe return of crew and passengers, and will provide updates as they become available.”
“We haven’t even found them yet. If we did, I would raise it to 15%.
“It’s dark – I don’t want to say it but I try to be realistic.
‘Miracles happen [like the Thai boys] but that’s a different situation. It’s a desperate race against time.
He likens it to trying to find a “van” in the massive wreckage of the ship.
‘The problem is most likely at the bottom at this point as it hasn’t been found on the surface and it doesn’t seem to be making any noise so that leads me to a pessimistic thought process which they are unable to turn on the shell.
“We then talk about trying to find a van among the wreckage of the Titanic.
“Once they find it, we have to bring it to the surface, which means either freeing it if it’s lodged in the Titanic somehow.
‘Or more likely they lost, they lost the ability [to surface] so we have to hoist them, which requires a vessel with a 2.5 mile cable.
“The hardest part will be getting into it. It’s like that arcade thing except you can’t see, so paint the walls black and make it 2.5 miles long – and there’s wind in there, so it blows.
;All is not lost yet because they still have oxygen but… it’s like imagining it’s on the far side of the moon – that’s a better representation.
‘Even if you find it, how do you get it back? They can’t open it from the inside – it’s locked from the outside.
Marquet lamented that there were few other ships – if any – capable of diving to 12,500 feet to save them.
“The United States and the Royal Navy have a long history of operating submarines – they don’t go as far as the guys.
They are in uncharted territory. If our submarines went that far, everyone would be dead.
Shahzada Dawood, 48, (pictured with his wife Christine), a UK board member of the Prince’s Trust charity, and his son Sulaiman Dawood, 19, are among five people missing in the sub- sailor who went to see the wreck of the Titanic, it was revealed today
Sulaiman Dawood, 19, missing on board the submarine is pictured with his mother Christine
Among the expedition participants is billionaire Hamish Harding (pictured), CEO of Action Aviation in Dubai. He excitedly posted on social media that he was there on Sunday
French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet (left) is believed to be taking part in the expedition, with Stockton Rush (right), CEO of the OceanGate expedition
“The submarine would rupture – there would be a crack in the hull, or a pipe would burst, it would fill with water and sink to the bottom. And the pressure… everyone would die.
Aaron Amick, an entrepreneur and US Navy veteran, echoed his concerns.
“I know everyone is waiting for the US Navy to save the day, but our rescue submarine is limited to 2,000 feet deep.”
‘There is no one who can reach the Titan who can save Titan. Her only hope is to find a way to the surface on her own where we can help her,” he said.
Amick compared the Titan to a “tomb” dropped into the water with no emergency breathing apparatus on board.
“They basically lock 5 people in a grave and put it at the bottom.
Inside the missing submarine, which looks like a “van” with room for five people
A desperate search is currently underway for a 22ft ocean-going vessel (shown in this graphic) which disappeared with five people on board as it plunged towards the site of the wreckage of the Titanic, which are now cut off from the world in claustrophobic conditions
“The crew never had a chance,” he said, adding that occupants can only get out if they are on the surface.
He said he imagined the submarine was “sitting on the bottom”, well out of reach.
“Loss of power or structural failure are my two best guesses. Both? Sitting at the bottom anyway,” he said.
Rear Admiral John Mauger, who is coordinating the search, said on Tuesday that crews had been working “around the clock” to locate him.
“This is a complex case and the Coast Guard does not have all the resources to be able to perform this type of rescue, although it is an area of our search area,” he said. he said Tuesday morning during an appearance on Good Morning America. .
OceanGate is in charge of underwater research, he said.
The company did not provide details on when the vessel went missing, or when it was reported to the Coast Guard.
Those on board are Britons Hamish Harding, 58, Shahzada Dawood, 48, his son Sulaiman Dawood, 19, French Navy pilot Paul-Henry (PH) Nargeolet and OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush.
