Tourist Submarine Exploring Titanic Wreckage Disappears; 5 Reported Missing Including Noted British Businessman, World Explorer

By Christopher Boyle Last updated Jun 19, 2023 Share with new partner:

The RMS Titanic was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City. Over 1,500 of the estimated 2,224 passengers died, making it the deadliest sinking of a single ship up to that time. Image credit: Atlantic Productions/Magellan

A tourist submarine exploring the wreckage of the Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean has disappeared, with authorities currently searching for the five individuals who were on board at the time it went missing, one of whom was a famous explorer.

According to the Boston Coast Guard, a search was underway as of Monday for the submarine that vanished while it was taking passengers on a pricey tour of the Titanic ‘s wreck, which is situated at the bottom of the ocean floor off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, approximately 12,500 feet underwater.

The submarine was operated by a private company called OceanGate Expeditions, which charges tourists as much as $250,000 for a trip to view the infamous shipwreck. Representatives from the company confirmed that the submarine is missing, and said that it contained two passengers and three crew members at the time of its disappearance.

“Our entire focus is on the crewmembers in the submersible and their families,” the company said. “We are exploring and mobilizing all options to bring the crew back safely.”

Among the passengers of the submarine was Hamish Harding, a noted British businessman and world explorer; his presence on the ill-fated ship was confirmed by his family via a Facebook post.

The Titanic trip package offered by the company span eight days, with dives down to the wreckage at times reaching 10 hours in length.

The RMS Titanic was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City. Over 1,500 of the estimated 2,224 passengers died, making it the deadliest sinking of a single ship up to that time.