Originally published at: Small sub has vanished with 5 people on board who went to see the Titanic | Boing Boing
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I have to wonder how much of the search is based on “well, this is the most plausible location we can actually get a rescue team to so we might as well search there” vs. “this is the location where they are most likely to be.”
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I’m seeing reports that the sub had 96 hours of oxygen onboard but haven’t seen a clear description of when the dive actually began.
I hope these guys get out of this ok but it’s hard for me to understand the appeal of such a mission in the first place. The portholes on these things are tiny so even James Cameron said that he spent most of his time on his dives looking at a video monitor. So why not just use an ROV with some kickass VR telepresence then?
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The Oceangate website doesn’t say anything about whether it’s a tethered dive, but the CEO Today article hyping the dive says ‘untethered’. That adds an element of mystery and adventure to the dive.
Also, the 3800m dive is in a submersible rated for 4000m. What could possibly go wrong?
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They used to say that cocaine was God’s way of telling you that you had too much money. I would suggest that a $250,000 trip in a submersible sub might just be telling you the same thing.
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Did they check the promenade deck?
250 grand? Seems a little over priced and there might be better things to do with that money like send a poor kid to college.
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As much as I would LOVE to dive down to the abyss to see alien creatures, I don’t think I have that level of courage to do that. I’ll just look at the pretty pictures others take.
And untethered? Nope. Not that brave.
I guess if the craft failed it would basically be instant death. But if the power failed, well. That would suck.
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Yea, I’m with you. I have no desire to go down 2 miles underwater.
Linked off the BBC article was also this one from May, which I had missed at the time, speaking of pictures -
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Because then bragging rights aren’t so fun for the richies.
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People go to live concerts even when the view is better on the screens. Sure, I don’t know that I would consider it worth it in this case, but there really can be something special about seeing a thing with your own eyes.
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I guess they found out the hard way that the Titanic still had berths available…
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Rich folks have always been finding new and better ways to die signalling wealth and status. Anybody can do something dangerous, but only the wealthy can do dangerous expensive things.
I feel for any actual scientists or crew on the sub.
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not going to lie, i’d love to see the Titanic with my own eyes. But everything about this sounds terrifying. i hope they are all found safe.
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Seriously, 250k is expensive for a coffin and an unmarked grave. Asphyxiation would be terrifying. I probably read too much U-boat sinking stories to think there is any positive outcome.
I don’t understand this mentality of rushing to your death. Why do you have to pick this time? Can it be waited for later, when it is safe to do?
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I once rode in a tourist submarine in Guam, we went about 125 feet down. But the sub was designed to be positively buoyant, needing motor thrust to keep it submerged— if the power fails, you go back up. Seems like a good precaution. I shudder to thinks of these people’s trouble and hope they are OK.
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I mean, they never did catch that iceberg, it could be just hanging around, defending it’s kill. It was brazen enough to hide out in that that Titanic exhibit and ambush those people…
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… at first I thought this was about Reddit again 
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Anybody check for orcas?
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You’ve got another 25-30 years before it’s dissolved away.
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I assume they’ve got the dive profile pretty well dialed in – and if it somehow got outside of that you are never going to find them. Very much the drunk looking for his keys under the street lamp. If they aren’t there, they’re nowhere.
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