An OceanGate Expeditions spokeswoman accused the US government bureaucracy of causing delays in the rescue operation of the Titanic tourist submarine, which is currently missing, according to NewsNation.
Authorities, however, have refuted this account, claiming that the corporation waited eight hours before officially reporting the missing. Attorney David Concannon, who elected not to participate in the dive on Sunday, told NewsNation that the rescue team, together with the requisite equipment and staff, cannot begin their mission until the Coast Guard gives them permission.
“They are mobilized. They’re sitting on the tarmac, ready to go,” Concannon said of the crew who surveyed the Titanic in 2022. “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 signoff on this,” the attorney added. “That’s unacceptable. I don’t want to discourage the government officials that are helping because they’re doing their jobs, but we need to do it quicker.”
OceanGate adviser has accused Biden government for ‘holding up’ rescue for missing Titanic submarine.
According to the US Coast Guard, the primary goal at this time is to find the submarine before launching any rescue operations. The submarine disappeared 370 nautical miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
Furthermore, OceanGate Expeditions took nearly eight hours to report the disappearance of its five-person tourist submersible after it lost communication with the vessel, according to officials.
Must read: What happened to Titanic Submarine? All details
According to the Mail, OceanGate Expeditions, a private firm that charges travelers $250,000 to visit the famed shipwreck, went under at around 8 a.m. on Sunday.
According to Coast Guard sources cited by the Mail, the submarine lost contact with its escorting ship, the Polar Prince, around 9:45 a.m., and officials were not told about the missing Titan sub until 5:40 p.m.
OceanGate and the Coast Guard did not respond immediately to the Post’s request for more information.
As officials rush to save the five passengers, news of the delay spreads. According to OceanGate, the submarine has a maximum oxygen supply of 96 hours, which is comparable to four days.
