James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster movie “Titanic” left almost everyone who watched it teary eyed. But not many know that the movie is based on the real-life sinking of a British ship by the same name, RMS Titanic was a luxury liner that hit an iceberg on April 14, 1912, broke apart and sank to the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean by April 15. The liner, operated by the White Star Line, was on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. It was carrying an estimated 2,224 passengers and crew aboard when the mishap occurred, killing more than 1,500 people.
The sinking of the Titanic was one of the biggest disasters in maritime history. It met with worldwide shock and outrage due to the huge loss of life as well as the regulatory and operational failures that led to it. It was the largest ship afloat at the time it entered service.
The aftermath of the disaster initiated public inquiries in Britain and the United States and led to major improvements in maritime safety. One of the important aspects was the establishment of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) in 1914, which still governs maritime safety.
The wreck of the Titanic was discovered in 1985 during a Franco-American expedition and United States Military mission. The ship was split into two and the shipwreck is slowly disintegrating at a depth of about 12,000 feet.
Now, OceanGate, a manned submersibles company, is planning tourist dives to the shipwreck. From May to September 2021, the company plans to dive to the wreck of the ocean liner, allowing three passengers to descend with it in each dive. The firm intends to dive about 18 times in this window using its ‘Titan’ sub which will also carry a pilot and a scientist-researcher apart from the three passengers. During the dive, passengers would be able to survey the wreck and debris field which is scattered across 86 sq km.
The dives will also help OceanGate with its overall objective to scan the entire wreck site – the ultimate goal being to create a photorealistic virtual 3D model of the shipwreck before it’s gone.
Picture Credit : Google
