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By Katherine Fung
Senior Writer
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Republican Representative Dan Crenshaw of Texas, a former Navy SEAL, said he has heard reports that U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) officials are blocking or delaying a highly capable rescue vessel, known as the Magellan, from being deployed to the area where a submersible went missing Sunday on the way to the wreck of the Titanic.
"If true, this is deeply concerning," Crenshaw tweeted on Tuesday. "We should be doing everything in our power to help in this rescue effort and I've sent an official request for the Magellan to be deployed ASAP."
Newsweek reached out to Crenshaw and the USCG for comment.
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A submersible operated by OceanGate Expeditions, a private company that has offered tours of the Titanic wreck since 2021, was reported missing after it lost contact with a chartered research vessel at the dive site off the coast about 900 miles off the coast of Cape Cod. Officials say there are five people onboard the sub.
USCG officials are racing against time to locate and save the submersible, which has only about 40 hours of breathable air left, as of 1 p.m. ET Tuesday. So far, the mission has "not yielded any results," but additional resources were being sent to the site, USCG Captain Jamie Frederick said at a press conference.
Officials have warned that if the vessel fell to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, rescue efforts will be difficult because divers cannot safely go more than a few hundred feet below the surface.
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The site of the Titanic wreck lies about 12,500 feet below the surface southeast of St. John's. Newfoundland, Canada. Although the passenger liner sank after hitting an iceberg during its maiden voyage on April 15, 1912, the remains of the ship were not discovered until 1985.
A 2018 letter sent to OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, who is believed to be onboard the lost submersible, by dozens in the submersible craft industry warned the company that its expedition submersibles failed to follow "existing classification safety guidelines" that could result in "minor to catastrophic" problems, according to a copy of the letter obtained by the New York Times.
The other four people in the submersible have been identified as British explorer Hamish Harding, French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman.
"Our entire focus is on the wellbeing of the crew and every step possible is being taken to bring the five crew members back safely," OceanGate Expeditions said in a statement shared with Newsweek.
"We are deeply grateful for the urgent and extensive assistance we are receiving from multiple government agencies and deep-sea companies as we seek to reestablish contact with the submersible. We pray for the safe return of the crew and passengers, and we will provide updates as they are available."
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