Imagine you are driving through Sahara, your car is powered by solar energy. Now all on a sudden, solar panels or the device that catches sunlight went out of order either due to a malfunction or physical damage that occurred as the trail you are driving through is rough or you just hit against any roadside object very hard. Although your solar device is labeled ‘failure resistant’ or resistant against severe weather changes, things on real expeditions can always face life-threatening challenges.
But you are on land, you have enough food and water with you for days plus your handy is working fine. In this scenario, literally you are out of fear from losing your life. You communicate your friends or colleagues, they send a rescue vehicle or in a really troubled situation a rescue helicopter. Your rescue will arrive within few hours. If not, you are physically fit and you take your necessary things in your backpack and follow the trail. Soon may be you will meet other expeditioners. Well, not a big deal indeed. The point is you are on land and reachable. You have many options to survive days without any outside help.
Now come to the current saga: one, you will be diving into the ocean bottom about 4,000 meters to see the wreckage of the legendary ship ‘Titanic’, two, your tiny vessel (you can’t call it submarice, just ‘tube’ or submersible) is steered by a video game controller brought from any online store and three, the cylindrical tube will be closed from outside with bolts.
Image from Twitter
Coming to other issues later: will these three points specially the last two’s are not enough to judge the ‘risk’ in this expedition – how nightmare scenarios can arise all on a sudden apart from those nice pics you devoured with wonder while sitting in a nicely decorated and comfortable office room of your organizer.
The tube is locked from outside, so even if it manages to come to surface, passengers have to wait for crews from outside who will make the escape done. Imagine that.
During the hours-long dive, there is not enough room to stand upright and make a short move within the vessel. And more horrifying, passengers definitely never take enough food or water for days + somehow, there is a ‘toilet’ inside.
The tube has no windows, only a porthole in front. So you can’t see the surroundings. For ocean expeditioners that should be the first ‘no’.
A Logitech F710 wireless game controller. A modified version was used to steer the Titan. Image credit: Wstomsk (Source: Wikipedia)
This missing tiny vessel, called ‘Titan’ was accomodating five people who could only sit on the tube floor and lean back against the tube wall. It’s overall dimension: 6.7 m x 2.8 m x 2.5 m. The crews do not wear shoes.
The Titanic tour is organized by OceanGate Inc.
Now for the expedition, you are going to pay 250,000 dollar and prior to diving, you have to sign a waiver, that means you voluntarily agree to release the other party from any liability that can occur during the voyage, either it could be a permanent physical damage or trauma or even death.
So ironically, by paying quarter of a million, you sign a kind-of your ‘death contract’!!!
And this story has traumatized us all. ‘Titan’ went missing on Sunday June 18, just after 1 hour and 45 minites diving. No communication, no whereabout of the vessel. All search efforts ended without locating them.
In the meantime social media is buzzing with analysis, critics and even with conspiracy theories because those on board were billionaires.
A Tiktoker @austinamy8 criticizes: „Coming soon: Chernobyl experience“ – For $500,000 you can visit the most radioactive place on Earth!
Another Tiktoker @erikamugglin suggests: „It’s only a matter of time, they will make movies out of this sub disappearance“, guessing several movie titles: Out of Their Depth, Titanic 2 – The Sequel No One Saw Coming, $250,000 Under the Sea, Sitting in My Tin Can, OCEAN GRAVE (a gritty horror movie), Cylinder of Sadness, The 96th Hour, Fall of the Titans, Rich Men Poor Souls.
Whatever we say or suggest, the ordeal of the crews on board were beyond our thoughts and feelings. Words can’t write down their ultra-terrible moments. The horror of this expedition will be living ‘vivid’ in our memories for decades. No doubt.
But for those gone forever – Rest in Peace Bros. You were brave souls.
We all make mistakes and many times we have the chances to come back and correct them. At some point, however, there’s no coming-back. You just hit that point Bros!!!