A rescue mission is underway after a vessel used to take tourists to see the underwater wreck of the Titanic went missing in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday.
The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed to Fox News Digital that they were currently searching for a lost submersible. Tourists can charter the small craft for visits to the infamous ship through OceanGate Expeditions, which recently announced new mission crews for a North Atlantic trip on social media.
The Coast Guard says there are five people on board, consisting of one crew member and 4 "mission specialists." They are currently conducting an air search for the vehicle, as it is designed to surface automatically if there are technical issues.
OceanGate announced on Twitter earlier in June that it was relying on Elon Musk's Starlink to provide internet and communications connection during the expedition. It is not clear whether communications played any role in the submersible going missing.
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OceanGate charges tourists $250,000 for a spot on their expeditions to the Titanic wreckage. The company has yet to comment on the disappearance, and it could not immediately be contacted due to a surge of internet traffic crashing the company's website on Monday.
The Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, after hitting an iceberg on its maiden voyage from England to New York City.
Monday's incident comes months after the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) released never-before-seen footage of the Titanic's wreckage in February. The haunting video was captured in 1986, when the WHOI made 11 dives nearly 12,500 feet below the ocean's surface to explore the wreckage.
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Alvin, a three-person submersible, was used to take humans down to the wreck for the first time, while a remotely operated vehicle dubbed Jason Jr. was used to go inside the sunken ship.
This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.
