NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: The New York-based Explorers Club’s president Richard Garriott has slammed the American government for not giving the green light to some important equipment that could successfully find the missing submersible. OceanGate’s Titan, carrying five men, is a tourist vessel that embarked on its journey on June 18 to explore the site of the Titanic wreckage. But one hour and 45 minutes into its expedition, it lost contact and has not been found since then.
Garriott has now claimed that Magellan, a firm that specializes in deep and ultra-deepwater site investigation, could prove vital to the search and rescue operation of the Titan. However, he alleged that the US government is not passing the order to get Magellan working.
‘Whatever the right thing is to do, we should still do it’
Garriott wrote a request to the Naval Sea Systems Command commander Vice Admiral William Galanis, Congressman Lloyd Doggett, Representative Eric Swalwell, and US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John W Mauger, who is leading the recovery mission. As per Daily Mail, he said, “Magellan has received mixed signals, first hearing from US Gov to get ready, waiting for plans - then getting told to stand down.”
He also spoke with National Geographic, noting, “Whatever the right thing is to do, we should still do it, even if it's now at the cusp of fatality,” referring to less than 24 hours of oxygen left for the men onboard.
‘It's the way it's designed to happen’
The Magellan Argus-class ROVs can reportedly be positioned at 6,000 meters and also have the capability to bring back Titan with the use of its external arms. Though the US Navy’s Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System with more capability has been at work on the search site, Garriott said, “The concern is that the big scooper will crush the hull because it would be almost impossible to get down under it in the mud without applying pressure to the hull itself.”
He pointed out, “Instead, a 6,000-meter working-class ROV has the ability to attach directly to the point on the top of the sub. It's a traditional method and people like Magellan have done it over and over again. It's the way it's designed to happen.”
Who is Richard Garriott?
Garriott's website describes him as the "founding father of the videogame industry and the commercial spaceflight industry." It states that he is the "first explorer to have explored pole to pole, orbited the Earth, and reached the deepest point in the Ocean." He has also co-written a book with David Fisher, named 'Explore/Create My Life in Pursuit of New Frontiers, Hidden Worlds, and the Creative Spark.'
‘That's unacceptable’
Garriott's claims came as OceanGate advisor David Concannon also seems to be frustrated with the US government. He reportedly said, “We need to move. We do not have minutes or hours. We need to move now. This equipment has been on the tarmac for hours. When I communicate with the US government, I get 'out of office' replies - not from everyone, but from key people that have a sign-off on this. That's unacceptable.”
“If we get the assets flown from Guernsey Channel Islands overnight, we can have them mobilized on the ship in a day and we can get there inside the window. Now, it's at the end of the window, but we can get there inside the window where there's still oxygen in the submersible and that's what we want to do,” Concannon added.
