Titanic-bound submersible goes missing in Atlantic Ocean; massive rescue efforts under way

A submersible bound for the wreckage of the Titanic has gone missing in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland, CTV News reported Monday.

"We are bringing all assets to bear to try to find the submersible," Rear Admiral John Mauger, U.S. Coast Guard First District Commander, said in an interview on Fox News Channel's "America Reports" Monday afternoon.

"We were notified yesterday afternoon, and we began immediately to mobilize assets to search both the surface of the water, search from the air, and then also launch equipment that would enable us to detect any vessels under the water."

"The good news is ... this particular submersible is advertised to have 96 hours of survival time. .. That gives us some time to continue to use all means to try to locate the crew members."

The vessel is operated by OceanGate Expeditions. An eight-day, seven-night tour to visit the wreckage costs about $250,000, according to a recently archived version of the now-unreachable website.

"We are exploring and mobilizing all options to bring the crew back safely," an OceanGate Expeditions spokesperson told CTV Monday.

"Our entire focus is on the crew members in the submersible and their families."

"We are deeply thankful for the extensive assistance we have received from several government agencies and deep sea companies in our efforts to re-establish contact with the submersible," the OceanGate Expeditions spokesperson also said.

The missing vessel is reportedly designed to surface automatically if it encounters an issue.

Mauger described the search and rescue operations as "very complicated."

"Anything is possible at this point," Mauger said, adding that the vessel is about 900 miles from the U.S. coast in Massachusetts.

He said C-130 Coast Guard aircraft have been launched. An aircraft that was in the area that normally is on "international iceberg patrol" has been retasked to help search on the surface. Aircraft from Elizabeth City, North Carolina, have also been deployed to the scene.

"It is a large area of water, and it is complicated by local weather conditions, as well," Mauger added of the comprehensive search efforts, which also involve authorities in Canada.

"We're looking into bringing additional vessels that are operating in the area," he said, including a research vessel that was within several hours of the missing submersible.

World explorer Hamish Harding's family confirmed on Facebook that he is among the five people in the missing submersible, according to the New York Post.

Harding reportedly also paid to ride the Blue Origin rocket last year.

The Titanic sank in 1912. It sits roughly 12,500 feet below the surface.

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