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ENC Coast Guard crew searching for missing submersible that lost contact during Titanic tourist dive

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston
Published June 20, 2023 at 12:42 PM EDT
The HC-130 Hercules is a long-range surveillance and transport, fixed-wing aircraft that is used to perform search and rescue, enforcement of laws and treaties including illegal drug interdiction, marine environmental protection, military readiness, and International Ice Patrol missions, as well as cargo and personnel transport. USCG photo by GILLESPIE, TOM PAC
PAC TOM GILLESPIE/U.S. Coast Guard
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Digital
The HC-130 Hercules is a long-range surveillance and transport, fixed-wing aircraft that is used to perform search and rescue, enforcement of laws and treaties including illegal drug interdiction, marine environmental protection, military readiness, and International Ice Patrol missions, as well as cargo and personnel transport. USCG photo by GILLESPIE, TOM PAC

An eastern North Carolina Coast Guard crew is among those working to find a submersible that disappeared on a trip to view the wreckage of the Titanic.

A Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City C-130 Hercules and a Canadian P8 aircraft equipped with underwater sonar are searching for the missing vessel.

Read more: 'Tiny sub, big ocean': Why the Titanic submersible search is so challenging

The Titan is operated by OceanGate Expeditions, a company that has provided tours of the Titanic wreck since 2021 at a price of up to $250,000 per person.

Five people are aboard, including a British adventurer, a French diver and a Pakistani father and son.

The Canadian research boat Polar Prince lost contact with the submersible about 1 hour, 45 minutes into its dive Sunday. The dive generally takes about 2.5 hours.

The submersible is thought to be equipped with only a few days’ worth of oxygen.
Annette Weston
Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to eastern North Carolina in 2019 to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of kiddo cuddling, reading, and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.
See stories by Annette Weston