This story about a missing submarine exploring the Titanic wreckage has captured the macabre imaginations of the internet. It’s just so foolish – there’s a literal billionaire who paid for a ride in this death trap!! [Dlisted]
The search-and-rescue team has heard “banging sounds” in the ocean as they look for this missing submarine. [Just Jared]
Is Aaron Taylor Johnson a movie star? Probably not. [LaineyGossip]
Netflix’s new movies & shows look kind of bad. [Pajiba]
Andrew Garfield looked HOT at the Zegna event in Milan. [Go Fug Yourself]
Justice Sam Alito sucks so hard. [Jezebel]
Dua Lipa got a new summer outfit. [Egotastic]
I love Kylie Minogue’s new song & I love how it’s a huge hit. [Tom & Lorenzo]
More upsetting stories about unsolved mysteries. [Buzzfeed]
Nicola Coughlan would have looked better without the gloves. [RCFA]
Trailer for Love During Lockup Season 3. [Starcasm]
Ron DeSantis keeps defaming Disney & Disney is going to own him. [Towleroad]
Was just talking about this missing tourist sub. I would never. I understand the adventure takers but this is just scary. I still have hope they could be alive.
Unless there was a hull breach, they probably are still alive. The question is whether they will be found and rescued in time. From what I can tell, they have until some time tomorrow until the O2 runs out.
The banging noises thing makes it seem like they’re trapped below the surface somewhere. What a nightmare! Can you even imagine waking up and realizing that you’re still in that tin can under the sea?!
Maybe people should just leave some things alone (the Titanic wreck, Everest, etc. I even place K2 in this category). The bottom of the ocean and the highest peaks where there’s not enough oxygen. People do not have to colonize every part of the earth. I’m sure it’s a horiffic ordeal, but why not just go scuba diving? It’s hubris. And we all know how well that worked out for Icarus.
No need to be there, we’ve been given lots of good imagery from the unstaffed rovers or whatever they’re calling them. This is rich-person adventuring. I really feel for their families with all the public talk of so many hours of oxygen remaining.
I don’t get the obsession with the Titanic. To think people out their lives at risk for this. Tragic.
Of course all lives are of value but it does boggle the mind to see the lengths and resources to save these 4 and to not see the same effort into saving the lives of people who are dying from domestic violence, hunger, clean water etc etc. Just makes me think a lot about humanity and who we collectively agree to value.
While I get that the resources being spent to find these people is insane, there is also hundreds or years of maritime tradition where you do everything you can to help rescue a vessel at sea that is in trouble. My sister took a cruise once and her ship stopped on two sperate occasions to recue Cuban refugees floating on homemade rafts.
Not to mention hundreds of refugee seekers drowned off the coast of Greece with no effort whatsoever to help them, in this same timeframe. But they’re not billionaires.
Not that I’m saying there shouldn’t be a rescue effort for those idiots, just that there should be a rescue effort for everyone!
This is something I thought about as well. And not only was there little to no effort to help those refugees, but their story has actually been swept aside in favor of reporting on this sub.
Thank you for saying this, I was about to write the same thing.
I read somewhere they all had to sign a document that included a “in case of death”. The space crazyness of the other billionaires could have ended the same way…while I can pity the death of the human beings, I will not feel sorry for anyone of them.
YES! Thank you for mentioning the refugees. I saw one little story about them and that’s it. Meanwhile, these 5 guys are getting constant coverage and so many resources for them.
Exactly qnd their were brown to add to injury. A few days ago at one of the chambers of the French Parliament(Assemblée Nationale), someone ask ed for a minute of silence to commemorate them and the president of the chamber said NO!!!
I, as a BW, know that the disappearance of a thousand of women like me would not garner half of the efforts they are getting. As for the tradition of marine solidarity, mentioned by someone here, on an institutional level it only works if you are of a certain hue.
The only ones I feel bad for is the 19 y.o kid and the rescue team that are obligated to risk their lives for this .
I thoughht of the money spent to ride a death trap – when that money could have been used for the greater good. Such a shame.
Seraphina, I have the same thoughts. In theory, I feel that billionaires have the right to spend their money however they want. Well, really what I think is that I wouldn’t want to see the govt being able to TELL people how to spend their money.
But then I see this utter foolishness and it does really boggle the mind to see 250k wasted on this when kids are starving, people are homeless, etc. It reads like some old white rich guy has so much money he doesn’t even know what to do with it, so he is using it to pursue life-threatening pastimes. It is gross. (It’s possible that this particular man donates a ton to charity, and if so, that is great. But I still feel like the disproportion between the haves and the haves nots is far too great)
@Turtledove, I agree with all you said. They paid 250k to go to what odds are, their death. That is a gamble they took. A fool and his money are soon parted is so true – and in this case more ways than one.
Latest up date is that banging noises every 30 minutes has been picked up (smart to time it so that rescue teams understand it is a manmade noise). But the odds are still stacked against them.
Agreed. Maybe this man does give to charity but this is also a dude who paid a million to ride on Bezos’ dick rocket. Just seems like such a waste.
You couldn’t have paid me step foot in that thing. I am extremely claustrophobic and that thing is TINY. That poor son. What a nightmare I don’t even want to think about what they’re going through.
I agree. And this op-ed from CNN expresses how I feel better than I could have written it: https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/20/opinions/titanic-submersible-lost-interest-filipovic/index.html
This. Compare to the situation with refugee boats.
I’m seeing this example used a lot. The “What about a b or c, don’t they deserve help?!” In a few of the comments a bit of class warfare is thrown in as well.
It’s highly unusual for a rescue mission opportunity like this to present itself and while it may sound macabre, a lot of military and civilian rescue tech get to develop their SOPs based on this effort. It’s probably also an excuse to see if any adversaries are lurking in the deep waters to boot.
Personally speaking if their cabin isn’t maintained at 1 atmosphere if they haven’t imploded, I don’t see any way of saving them.
EXACTLY. There’s so much being learned through this rescue (recovery?) process. I’m actually really proud of the Boston Coast Guard who’s leading the coordination of this effort.
I also find it curious that people don’t see the appeal of traveling to a place that is akin to another planet. These explorers are seeing things that they never knew existed: sea creatures that are 60′ long and light up under water, etc etc. It’s also important people recognize that through this rapidly-advancing technology, scientists are learning about an ecosystem that makes up 70% of the earth’s surface–an ecosystem that has been largely a mystery for most of our lives.
I’m too claustrophobic and too poor to do something like this but I absolutely understand why someone would want to.
These are fellow humans who are in need of prayers…I am still praying for them… I have hope they are found today and that the sonar can detect them in the event the submarine is stuck under some of the Titanic’s wreakage in the various areas of the debris field down there.
Finally, someone said it. there is a nineteen year old boy (with his father) on that submarine. Hope they can be saved.
Thank you. As much as I have “thoughts” about how they got there in the first place, they are still humans and someone loves them. It’s terribly sad to me. I will also hope for a miracle.
It was a stupid and foolish decision to go in this submarine but I still hope that they are rescued in time. I hope people learn from their story about making dumb decisions.
For their sakes, I hope the banging sound is false hope and that they all imploded into goo from a catastrophic error before they even had time to be aware something was wrong. I know that’s how I would prefer to go in that situation as opposed to the alternative of slowly suffocating in a dark can at the bottom of the ocean, knowing I’m going to die.
I hope you’re right about that, Plums. It’s far preferable to suffocating or freezing. There was some hope it had surfaced, and they are searching by air and boat too, but even if they are on the surface, they are bolted into that machine, so they still can’t get air. It can’t be opened from the inside even if they are floating.
Really?? I didn’t know that. My god, I get palpitations just thinking about getting bolted inside that tiny little space.
Yeah, minus them being found at the surface in time, I’d feel the same @plum.
Same, Plums. I had already checked out of the story because of the most likely and by far most *reassuring* scenario, which was that the hull compressed during descent, resulting in an instantaneous death (it has continued to dominate a news cycle because of our morbid sci-fi fascination with an “oxygen clock”). The Rolling Stone report about the “banging” or “tapping” — and the fact that it came from an internal government memo — has really rattled me and, I am sure, everyone else who’d hoped and believed they had expired quickly and painlessly. Extremely disturbing.
There is a father and son combo on board that submarine. I feel so bad for the father he must be heartbroken. I hope they make it. I keep thinking about what it would be like on that sub, what a horrific fate.
Someone noted in Twitter that her father was an engineer and said that the psi (pressure per square inch) is thousands of times more at 2.5 miles below sea level than space and the crush quotient for that is so high. Basically if any small part on this vessel made from left overs and gaming joysticks failed they would be crushed in seconds. This company did not even put a tracking beacon on this thing even after it got lost one time already. I hope they are somehow found alive, but if not I hope they never knew what hit them rather than waiting 96 hours to run out of air.
@Why i saw that tweet and came here to say the same thing. I have been obsessed and horrified by this story and the outcome. Because the thing was so criminally made it is far more likely that they died and quickly. I find this pretty comforting.
Nick G I feel the same way. They basically built a sub to go to crushing depths in the ocean out of legos game consoles and chewing gum. It’s so very tragic. It echos the hubris of the original unsinkable ship they were goi g to see at the bottom of the ocean as others have noted.
love love love Kylie! I hope this becomes a huge hit in the US, cause I can’t get this song out of my head 😉
…and I’m “spinning around” just listening to it 🙂
I tried it the other day, but I just don’t like that electronic sound they do with voices any more. Just sets my teeth on edge. But yay for Kylie! She’s still going strong!
I’ve been surprised at the open mockery and laughing at the people in the submersible. Regardless of faults they may have, they don’t deserve to die.
Having said that, I agree with many that the response to the billionaires emergency and the lack of response to the boat with hundreds of asylum seekers that recently sank are so vastly different it is grotesque.
Lastly, in true “listen to Mother Nature” fashion, the billionaires are learning their money is not a shield from the danger of the ocean. When you are on/in the ocean you are no longer at the top of the food chain, you are at the whims of the laws of physics, and you are not more important than anyone else. You would think the lessons of the Titanic would have taught them that but most of these people learn nothing about history and how it constantly cycles again and again.
I think part of it is that when you do a basic search, the sub itself seems unsafe. Maybe it is terrible, but I’m of the, “play stupid games, win stupid prizes,” mindset.
If I’m signing a waiver saying that I might die, I’m going to do all the research in the world before I actually sign on, especially if I don’t have a good understanding of the engineering.
That’s what I said! If I’m paying $25 for a ticket or $250K, I’m going to do every bit of research I can. I will be obsessed with the details and would most likely end up not going after the research. I don’t understand the mindset that would casually go off on this trip.
I do think that scoffing “Hah! Billionaires! No great loss!” is a way to avoid coming to grips with how gravely nightmarish the situation is, and to put distance between ourselves and the situation itself (“at least I can comfort myself with the grim satisfaction that I can’t *afford* to die in such a harrowing way”). I also think that having empathy for billionaires — during a housing crisis, as the middle class is disappearing and governments become corporatocracies — is a pretty hard upsell. A lot of people are financially stressed or even desperate right now, so cynical reactions are understandable.
It is a nightmarish way to die. That’s for sure.
THIS STORY IS FACINATING and I AM OBSSESSED. A death trap, like many of you have said. The more I read up on this the more I am amazed these men agreed to go in a tin can in order to explore a sunken ship. Makes me wonder if they wanted to see if they should fund exploration to rescue of treasure that is still rumored to be in there.
BUT, apparently news sources are stating many have raised concern in the past over the safety and the lack of regulating these vessels. One of its trips – they were lost for about 5 hours. And they are bolted in from the outside. CRAZY. And one of the English billionaire’s friend’s pulled out of going due to safety concerns but would not elaborate.
I cannot imagine what they must be thinking right now if they are still alive. Experts say they have a less than 1% chance to still be alive.
The story is fascinating. Legitimately, I did not know the difference between submarines and submersibles and now I do. The submariners or ex-military submariners who are in the news speaking about this are fascinating. I cannot imagine that life. It would be my absolute nightmare. The juxtaposition with the response to the refugees is real and absolutely fair. The more details we learn about this whole thing is unbelievable. Ideal situation, they’re found at the surface in time to be opened.
As to who would sign up for this–I remember thinking the same thing when I visited the CSS Hunley, the Confederate submarine. On its initial launch, something malfunctioned & all crew died. On its second launch, something malfunctioned & all crew died. It finally managed to sink a ship in the war, but then something went wrong & it sank again for the final time. How did they get anybody to sign up for that third attempt? Even the second time would be pretty dodgy. They have a mockup of the Hunley at the exhibit & you can go inside to see what it would be like for a crew member. Over & over again, I just couldn’t imagine volunteering for this!
Dead or alive, this is going to another stupid thriller movie out in theaters in less than five years.
If it’s recovered intact I can only imagine the last messages they recorded to loved ones. That’s the only way I can see a movie out of this. If it is ever shared with the world. Otherwise, it’s just a PVC tube that went into the ocean never to return.
I also wonder how bad it got and who thought they deserved more air than the other and if they turned on each other.
Yeah we all know that sub is held together by a prayer but it’s also been going on these missions for THREE seasons now. So I’m going to give them a bit of leeway here and assume that they thought that was enough of a track record for them to trust in it’s safety.
That actually increases the chance of something breaking. The former head engineer who was fired for raising safety concerns brought up that the material they used for the hull develops micro tears with stress, and after repeated use the tears can cause the materials to fail.
It only went on 2 other dives in the past 2 years and they were problematic. Also the submersive wasn’t approved by/regulated by any safety protocols or standards. An employee was fired for raising alarms, and they were warned in 2018 about safety issues. Anyone that thought this was a good idea should’ve had their head examined
Oh yeah the differences in responses to a bunch of rich dudes and a boat of refugees is awful and inhuman
That’s how this sh*tty world works. Just like when a pretty white girl goes missing, the news is all over it. When it’s a Black, Brown, or Indigenous woman, barely a damn mention in the news.
That is the truth. I remember when this beautiful black honor roll student from NC went missing in Baltimore how frustrated the detectives were at the fact that no one would carry the story nationally. It was maddening
The media hook is the Titanic. I know it’s awful that refugees are lost at sea also. But unless they got lost over the Titanic it’s not going to pull the same media coverage.
And this ‘it’s just rich dudes’ attitude is just gross. One of them is just a 19-year-old kid. Never had a chance at life.
Yes and their were children on that boat in Greece that died.
What the fu*k are you actually gonna see in that pile of 111 year garbage at the bottom of the ocean (where it’s pitch black) that’s worth all this time, money, and risk? Fu*king stupid. These people don’t deserve to die, but choices have consequences. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
I read a comment that said the Titanic is still claiming lives in 2023. It’s insane. I guess when you have too much money, you get bored and search out for adventures that are very unique. I do hope they are found alive as I truly feel bad for the family/friends of these people. I also really hope NO ONE ever tries to go down there again. The same sh*t is going to happen with space exploration. Millionaires paying big bucks to be shot up into space. There will be disasters.
Turning Titanic into a tourist site was no-bueno bad bad karma from the start. It’s a mass _grave_, for cryin’ out loud. Sure, research the wreckage, but, damn…
The ocean doesn’t tolerate hubris.
@Deering24 but it’s not a tourist site and it’s banned from being one. So these companies use loopholes and say it’s scientific research and slap ‘research assistant’ on the billion and millionaires that pay to see it.
I can’t believe anyone under 30 would even be allowed on that PVC boat. I only feel for the 19 year old boy that probably just wanted a once in a lifetime experience with their Father. Who trusted him to know it was safe.
When obsession clouds common sense it was just a matter of time before this would happen.
Technically, I think there’s 3 billionaires on board the titanic thing? Hamish, and the Uk/Pakistan father and son? Imagine having half a million to throw around and instead of doing anything to improve the lives of people that desperately need it, you got yourself and your teenage son in some stupid contraption like this. I guess when you’re that rich nothing else excites you at that point, so this is the kind of crap you have to do? Seems exactly like the tourist space travel IMO. And now multiple countries are spending millions of dollars trying to rescue these people while 100s of immigrants die in boats weekly and it seems like the world doesn’t pull any resources to try to help them or contribute to their safety?
I actually do hope they are rescued because maybe going through a near death experience will change these peoples perspective and start to think about others instead of themselves for once. Personally, I’m having some trouble finding sympathy for wealthy billionaires, who seemed aware of how dangerous this was, but decided to go forward, but at the same time I do know, this is an awful way to die, and would prefer they get rescued and then billed for all the emergency services the rest of us taxpayers have to pay for their recuse efforts.
I’m afraid a near death experience wouldn’t change a thing. They would probably double down on this nonsense, because of “innovation.”
@kate-I feel exactly the same, especially after reading how these people came into their billions. It’s sad that people will die yeah but I can’t muster up the same sympathy I have for the refugees off of Greece, the migrants that DeDumbass is using as pawns and flying to random cities, the child immigrants working in the fields picking our food for us, etc. No one gives these people a second thought yet we are being bombarded by this story 24/7 for days now.
I feel exactly the same. Hundreds of people are still missing from the refugee disaster.
Thanks for posting CB.
I am interested in the comments, most of us can see both sides of this situation, and still feel that we hope for a rescue. I think it is just basic empathy.
Deep water terrifies me.
I agree it was a foolish idea and driven by wealthy “adventurers”. A complete folly and they did know the risks, signed the waivers and went ahead. Same as the wealthy who went into space with Bezos and Musk. Informed decision.
A true waste of money that could easily have been better used to help others.
A 19y/o onboard with his Father. Heartbreaking. The wife/Mom has my heartfelt prayers.
If they are rescued alive, I hope they make the Billionaire on board pay every cent of the rescue efforts cost.
The retired military servicemen who service on subs during wartime were very often young men and women drafted into service. Or they joined to try to improve their lives bc they had zero options other than the military.
I think most military join right out of high school, 17, 18-20 year olds. I had an Uncle who joined the Army at 16 to be sent straight to the Korean conflict, he came back a raging alcoholic who was never the same.
Imagine going into submarine training at that age.
Poverty is the real curse. Wealth makes the rules. It always has been true through out history.
The fact that a billionaire spends 1/4 of a million on an adventure/risk/thrill instead of helping society is also nothing new. Sad.
I hope no one involved in the rescue effort is lost or injured.
When I was traveling around the world, I always said I never wanted to do anything so adventurous that someone would have to risk their live to save my foolish ass. I do hope they get rescued. I also hope they all pay back every cent of the cost of their rescue. This trip was wholly unnecessary. How ironic that their lives need saving when they were out to gawk at the dead. Ultimate hubris. I hope they survive so they can address what quest for adventure cost, financially, socially, and culturally .
I occasionally read the skepdick on Facebook and the comments are brutal. I had to stop reading. There’s lots to discuss in this situation but wishing death on people…well I’m glad I’m not in a situation that has me wishing death on people. It reminds me somewhat of the celebrations when queen Elizabeth died
Revealing series of tweets from David Pogue, tech writer, who was on the OceanGate surface ship during a Titanic dive a year ago. The ship lost communications with the submersible for FIVE hours. Pogue said things were tense and OceanGate “shut off the ship’s internet to prevent us from tweeting.” He also confirmed the submersible has not emergency beacon and “adding such a beacon was discussed.” Neither the loss of communciations or the lack of any emergency beacon made it into Pogue’s podcast. What a tool.
absolutely terrifying
I cannot even believe this mission took place to begin with. Personally, I think it’s a tad bit insane. I truly hope they are found and safe. Sending prayers their way and to their families as well
Also, this is a small thing but why NAME the vessel Titan… AFTER THE TITANIC?????
That’s tempting the gods!!!
There is a good clip circulating from the CBS Sunday Morning show where one of their reporters actually went down in that deathtrap. He reads out the waiver he had to sign which fully admits the death vessel was not regulated and you might die in it. I felt sorry for the reporter taking such a huge risk for an assignment, but luckily he survived. Anyway, it shows the interior of the the tube, interviews some of the other gullibles who paid up to go, and a number of the submersions they were filming had to be abandoned due to issues. The CEO of Oceangate, Mr. Smirky McSmirkison, is interviewed and wow was he high on himself and this piece of junk he glued together. I pray to God these folks are brought up in time. Mr. Smirky McSmirkison, who was piloting the ill-fated dunking and is down there now, is going to have to face some very unpleasant music if he survives this.
Where is Elon Musk right now? Shouldn’t he be plugging some self-designed rescue sub and mildly-discounted Starlink services?
I expect him to call the people trapped on the Titanic submarine pedophiles by Friday.
LOL re: Elon.
😆
He’s keeping his mouth shut because Ocean Gate was using Star Link communications.
https://twitter.com/oceangateexped/status/1669034601983926277?s=46&t=hng33ZYr6cqBeT_ZdaK3BA
I didn’t think of this, but IDKW Disney doesn’t cut-off the Disney Channel to the State of Florida. I think we’d see exactly how much support this petty dick-tater really has!
OMG that is BRILLIANT! Hahahaha, they totally should!
The Mouse always wins.
What is there even to see at this point? Isn’t there just one window that all five would have to take turns looking out?
You know who isn’t in that thing? Women.
Yup.
About the: no women in the ship…. I was thinking about this, too! It is just such a typical male behaviour pattern to do something extremely risky just for bragging rights. And then men whine about their shorter life span…
It’s damn scary! I feel for them and hope they are found and rescued. It’s a very very scary way to go. I def will pray for their return, I don’t care if they are millionaires or billionaires… they are human first. Also, if they come home, perhaps this experience will make them focus on what’s important and use their money to better the world instead of spending it on stupid 💩
CNN is currently reporting “banging sounds” at 30 minute intervals have been detected.
But not much more info than that.
Far as I know, no location yet.
Apparently, it’s just noise and the media ran with ‘banging’ sounds. It is a shame that it’s giving a lot of people false hope. The ocean is loud and it could be anything. But it’s way past 7am in Newfoundland. Even if the 96 hours were accurate as it was never even tested. They have perished by now. If the Titan is even intact.
Maybe we send some loving vibes out to Wilson, Colombia’s S&R Malinois? I’m still there
I feel really bad for the son. At 19 I would’ve went with my parent because I would trust their judgment.
As a parent, I can’t imagine ever putting my child on that thing. Even if you didn’t read the waiver, getting in that thing with a rigged, knock off gaming controller? Peeing in a ziplock bag? Going THAT far down? No, son. Just watch some YouTube videos instead. You’ll be able to see the wreckage better anyway.
This is just so awful. He is barely a legal adult and probably still dependent on his parents in many ways including listening to their advice and judgment. I just can’t imagine after reading that sketchy waiver to take my kid into that thing. You want to spend money for ‘adventures’ ? Fine. But don’t risk your kids life as well. Absolutely tragic.
It’s so tragic. I feel like the other men knew what they were getting into; but the son didn’t because why would his dad take him if it wasn’t safe? I’ve been thinking of his mom, who I’m going to assume probably objected to the trip and how she’s basically praying for a miracle while she’s helplessly counting down the hours to her son’s death.
For those of us who love film, TCM may be in danger.
https://www.indiewire.com/features/commentary/tcm-layoffs-warner-bros-spielberg-scorsese-paul-thomas-anderson-protest-1234877220/
For fuck’s sake. Is there _anything_ Zaslav won’t try to wreck?!?!?
TCM helped me through the worst of my chronic illness. I hope the channel will remain!! I love it so very much. I may even have become something of a film buff because of it. Thanks for the link.
this is so upsetting, TCM is the only reason I have cable, I cant imagine life without it
Just when I think I need more adventure in my life. Nope. Prayers for them, I hope they make it.
Debbie@ironbow on Twitter says: Can everyone put the same resources into searching a landfill for our women’s remains as they are in searching for the missing sub, please. After this, I hope many realize just how this looks to the people whose loved ones are in a garbage dump while Canada loses its mind searching for this submersible. It is a fair request. One shouldn’t have to even explain the way it appears when they have to stand at a garbage dump instead of a gravesite to mourn. I hope this works out in the end but please, no more excuses on searching MMIWG2S 💔 And I couldn’t agree more
6/21/23 5:15pm Minnesota US here.
The amount of search and rescue resources and multiple countries coming together as time grows dangerously short for the missing Titan is bringing me to tears.
So many officials are saying a miracle is needed, still calling it a search and rescue not yet recovery.
Why can we not join forces like this with countries all pulling together constantly?
Fix the problems of all the people, come together.
I know. Real life does not work that way. But this huge rescue effort for 5 people show that it COULD work that way, if only the Govts would agree.
It’s an interesting philosophical question, for sure. If this was a Ukrainian or Russian sub (yes, you have to pretend that’s not a land war), would any country commit rescue teams to look for them, or would they all be more concerned with the optics? Would there be this breathless amount of media coverage? Or a *shrug*?
When the Kursk Russian submarine sank near Norway, both the brits and the Norwegian navy volunteered help, it was Putin who refused it for days.
This news story is making me so anxious – yet I cannot stop from getting updates.
Lynne F, Same. As another news story said, it’s triggering, what with the claustrophobia aspect and certain death at a specific (and short) period of time. But I also agree that the refugees dying near the Spanish Canary Islands is not important to people anymore since they have become inured to it, unfortunately. So much to unpack there. But I did read that Algeria rescued 24? refugees, so that is very good news, indeed.
Chemical Engineer and ex NASA Test Engineer here.
The oxygen issue is important but we don’t know enough about their system to really put a definitive run out time. If they have 96 hours of air at 14.7 psi inside that vessel; they could actually decrease the atmospheric pressure to what the astronauts see (4.1 – 4.3 psi) and extend their oxygen supply. *Assuming it doesn’t risk cratering the entire vessel from the external water pressure.
Scrubbing the carbon dioxide out of their environment is also a worry. Hopefully that system is just as robust and has a 96 hour timeframe + additional safety tolerance.
The guy who owns this company has been very vocal in his criticism about there being TOO MANY safety regulations that are unnecessary. Then he goes and builds a tin can controlled by a GameBoy and somehow suckers people into thinking it’s a great idea to ride this thing down to a rusted out hull of a shipwreck. The people who paid for this experience must have truly unfulfilling lives if this is what it takes for them to have fun. They chose this ridiculous risk fully knowing the consequences, and some basic research into the company’s founder would have told them how low a priority safety is for the guy who designed that janky tin can.
There’s already a documentary about the wreck made by James Cameron that I can buy for $20 and watch on my large-screen TV, and I’ll have a much better view.
Heck, it would have made more sense to hitch a ride with Cameron. You know he’s not going down there in dodgy anything.
Although these men had paid $250,000.00 to be passengers on here, my question is this==> Didn’t they survey the mini-sub BEFORE they paid their fee?
Also, within surveying the vehicle, they can check to see if it was: (a) Comfortable [to sit or see if there is enough legroom for each passenger], (b) Suitable Restroom Facilities [in the event that Nature calls, they can–without discomfort and embarrassment–manage themselves in this area], (c) Food and Beverage [ensure that there is a substantial amount of these on hand for the duration of the trip], and (d) Look Out Area [more than the small window provided for all paying travelers to actually view the R.M.S.].
IMPHO, this corporation more than likely GYPPED these people! Besides these 4 folks diving in a proverbial “sardine can” with a small timeframe for oxygen allowance, it seems as if something happened–and it has undoubtedly happened–A REAL RESCUE CONTINGENCY PLAN to be put into full effect force. The CEO, regardless of NDAs or some other contracts signed by the now victims–will be looking forward to being litigated by someone’s family members/loved ones in the nearest future! Just. My. Observations.