Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty/NOAA
The submersible that went missing after plunging deep into the Atlantic on Sunday has triggered fiery backlash from some descendants of those who boarded the RMS Titanic 111 years ago, with relatives saying that tours of the ill-fated ship should not be happening in the first place. In their view, the site should be treated with “more respect” in memory of those who perished there.
The underwater expedition to the Titanic’s wreckage—regarded by some as a watery “graveyard” for the 1,496 passengers and crew killed in the disaster—went awry shortly after the submersible launched its mission off the coast of Newfoundland with five people on board. The vessel lost contact with the support ship after just an hour and a half, and has not been heard from since.
Equipped with only 96 hours of oxygen, the adventure of a lifetime has now spiraled into a heart-pounding crisis that has garnered headlines around the world—and triggered an outcry from families who have raised ethical concerns about such tours.