Trapped under the ocean

Very much like the original Titanic disaster, in which the majority of deaths were of those in 3rd class and the crew, whereas media interest has almost always focused on the wealthy passengers.

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That brings up something which isn’t being discussed in the media - you don’t just need O2, you need to remove CO2, we don’t know what capacity the sub has for preventing CO2 accumulating and it might be much less than 96 hours.

In any case even they have more CO2 scrubbing capacity than they have O2 capacity the current estimate is 20 hours of oxygen, given that they haven’t found the sub yet I doubt it will be enough to effect any rescue.

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The BBC news website has a q&a. I haven’t seen this question brought up.
It would be interesting to know as you say.

Surely they would have scrubbers/rebreathers - it’s standard practice in every submersible I’ve had dealings with…

Yes, they absolutely need to have scrubbers for the normal dive - but they work by chemically reacting with the CO2 so they get used up.

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Indeed. I’m familiar with the general principles as I prepared some of the evidence for the inquiry into the HMS Tireless disaster.

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I’m impressed - though in the case of Tireless the question “which one” is pertinent :slight_smile:

The 2007 Oxygen generator explosion…

The Oceangate website simply says that it offers “Life support - 96 hours for 5 crew”

Has anyone seen if they’re looking on the surface? If they had to get shot of the ballast they could be miles away from the search site

I don’t think so, waivers and disclaimers all the way plus a Company with few assets and no insurance.

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The people that built and operated this submersible don’t seem to have much time for “standard maritime practice”.

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They have been searching the surface and still are, I believe, apparently it won’t be easy to spot given the vast area to cover and big seas.

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Al la Apollo 13 with their improvised scrubbers.

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I was just about to quote Apollo 13

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One presumes, then, that includes CO2 removal capacity.

It depends - waivers will only go so far if they are found to have skimped on accepted safety standards - reckless endangerment and all that.

I watched a sky news interview with Roger Mallinson yesterday and his account of being trapped in a submersible which apparently one idiot had not fixed the hatch on properly and they sank with it more or less open. His account was bad enough to imagine and it was in the 70’s to when rescue craft were thin on the ground where they existed but they were saved and he is now an elderly man who still has his faculties and can remember it all.

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I think society has become a little complacent about technology “just working”. This stuff is on the leading edge and Heath Robinson at best. That doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done, in fact the opposite, I admire their bravery. But I wonder if you have bought a seat as opposed to having a deep professional understanding of what you are getting in to, would you pay anymore attention to the safety warnings than on, say, a Ryanair flight? Sure, they have to say all this stuff but it’s never going to happen.

An old childhood friend, he lived a few houses down the road, has made this trip a couple of times. The last time I bumped I bumped into him he’d just returned from his first Titanic dive, my interest was such I never even mentioned it :roll_eyes: I wish I had now.

CEO onboard?

So it seems.

However, there are claims that corners were cut where safety was concerned in order to save money

Still, I suppose if that’s good enough for NASA….…

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