Experts fear Tourist sub ‘is tangled in Titanic’s wreckage’

Rescuers have just a one per cent chance of saving the crew on the missing Titanic submarine before oxygen supplies run out, an expert has claimed.

A tourist submarine may be tangled in the wreckage of the RMS Titanic after it vanished, according to an expert — as rescuers have just a one per cent chance of saving the crew before oxygen supplies run out.

Five people were on board the sub, including a British billionaire, when contact with it was lost in the North Atlantic, The Sun reports.

Former US nuclear submarine commander David Marquet believes there is less than a one per cent chance of the crew surviving “if they are on the bottom”.

He told Good Morning Britain: “Time is running out in terms of their supply of oxygen, which they’re going to want to try and extend.

“If they’re still alive, they’re going to want to try to relax, minimise their oxygen use, minimise all physical activity, they’re not going to want to panic and get excited and they’re going to want to take naps because that’s a good way to minimise your oxygen use.”

He warned the carbon dioxide level could get too high and suffocate the crew.

The carbon fibre and titanium vessel is somewhere in the depths and the coastguard of both the US and Canada have undertaken a desperate search effort.

It is thought to have become entangled in the 20th Century shipwreck.

Former Rear Admiral Chris Parry told Sky News: “It’s very worrying. It could have become entangled in the wreckage of Titanic, we don’t know yet.

“The wreck site is a long way from anywhere.

“The only hope one has is that the mothership will have a standby craft that can investigate immediately what is going on.”

The Titanic-bound tourist submarine that disappeared on Sunday morning has only 96 hours of life support installed, US Coast Guard officials said as the search continues past its first day. OceanGate

According to the Mail, the sub is able to descend as deep as 4,000 metres.

It was designed by a team of NASA engineers in time for the expedition.

It weighs over 10,000kg and is powered by electric thrusters, generating a stop speed of three knots.

Unusually, it is reportedly steered by a reinforced Playstation controller, though there is no GPS system, with crew instead relying on texts from a team above the water. As well as a window, which operators OceanGate claim to be the largest in the world, there is a high-res display showing the feed from the sub’s Rayfin 4K camera.

It is launched by a platform which sinks to a depth of 9.1 meters, which it is supposed to land back on at the end of the dive to be brought back to the surface.

Dives can last for up to 10 hours, though it has been missing for considerably longer than that.

OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush is believed to be among those on board.

He was reported to have taken the dive, along with experienced submersible pilot Paul-Henry Nargeolet.

The interior of OceanGate Expeditions' Titan submersible, which the company describes as "roomy compared with traditional deep diving submersibles". Picture: OceanGate/Facebook

The only passenger confirmed so far is UAE-based British businessman Hamish Harding.

His stepson Brian Szasz said on Facebook: “Thoughts and prayers for my stepfather Hamish Harding as his submarine has gone missing exploring Titanic.

“Search and rescue mission is underway.

“Thoughts and prayers for my mom and Hamish Harding.”

A spokesman for OceanGate said: “We are exploring and mobilising all options to bring the crew back safely.

“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.

“We are working toward the safe return of the crew members.”

This story appeared in The Sun and has been reproduced with permission