HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA: The head of the search and rescue operation of the missing submersible has hinted toward hope but also called the mission an “incredibly complex” one. Rear Admiral John Mauger of the US Coast Guard mentioned the “banging” sounds heard in the ocean and shared that they "don't know the source of that noise." However, the US Navy has been informed to better understand the science behind it.
Mauger said, as per The Mirror, “The data from the P-3 aircraft has been shared with our US Navy experts for further analysis which will be considered in future search plans. There is a lot of metal and different objects in the water around this site. That’s why it’s so important that we’ve engaged experts from the Navy that understand the science behind the noise and can classify or give us better information about what the source of that noise may be.”
‘We will do everything in our power’
OceanGate’s Titan left for its journey on Sunday, June 18, carrying five passengers to explore the Titanic’s ruins. However, one hour and 45 minutes into the expedition, it lost contact and has not been detected since then. Reports have said that less than 24 hours of oxygen left in the craft makes the already grim condition worse.
Mauger stated that the hunt is "incredibly complex" but he added, “We will do everything in our power to effect a rescue. There is a full-court press effort to get equipment on the scene as quickly as we can.”
Who is Rear Admiral John Mauger?
Mauger has been serving as the Commander of the First Coast Guard District since May last year. “He oversees all Coast Guard missions across eight states in the Northeast including over 2,000 miles of coastline from the U.S.-Canadian border to northern New Jersey and 1300 miles offshore,” the website of the United States Coast Guard said.
His earlier profile was the Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy. Mauger’s educational qualifications include “a Bachelor of Science, with Honors, from the Coast Guard Academy in 1991; a Master of Science, with Honors, from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1997; and a Master of Science, with Distinction, from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at National Defense University in 2011.”
‘Possibility of catastrophe and death just hangs over you’
Mauger’s statement comes as Mike Reiss, a writer and producer on ‘The Simpsons’, spoke about his experience when he went on the Titanic wreckage voyage last year. The 63-year-old told The Sun, “I've taken three different dives with the company and every time communication was an issue. This is a new technology, and they're very much learning as they go with it but [communication] is probably the weakest link in the chain, and think in two of the three cases when I was there they were able to re-establish communication, but that seems to be the hardest part of this thing.”
Reiss continued, “We lost communication on the Titanic dive, then we got them back, but it was crackly - almost like something from a World War II movie - and then the problem would be literally communicating with the people on the surface about where we were."
The writer explained, “The possibility of catastrophe and death just hangs over you - it's just a part of what you're doing. You sign a lengthy waiver before you get on the ship that mentions death three times on the first page. The trip is beautiful and more peaceful than you would think, but you know you could die at any moment or things could go terribly wrong at any time, and that's all part of the experience,” before adding, “This isn't a tourism boat, this is exploration. And exploration can be incredibly dangerous.”
