Well this will not be good for business.
Submersible bound for Titanic goes missing
A small submersible bringing tourists to the Titanic has gone missing 370 kilometres off the coast of Newfoundland while diving to the legendary wreckage.
The company behind the mission — OceanGate Expeditions — says it is "exploring and mobilizing all options to bring the crew back safely."
There is no confirmation on how many people are on board the submersible Titan, but it has a limit of five people.
"Our entire focus is on the crew members in the submersible and their families," a statement from OceanGate reads.
The submersible was reported missing after it was overdue by a couple of hours on Sunday evening, according to Chief Mi'sel Joe — head of the Mi'kmaq band that owns the Polar Prince, the ship from which it had launched.
Joe said he's getting constant updates on the situation. He said another submersible is being flown in from the United States to join the search.
"Your mind wanders to what could have happened, but we just don't know," Joe said. "We just pray that everyone is OK."
The Canadian Coast Guard told CBC News on Monday morning the search falls under the jurisdiction of the Boston Coast Guard. The American group confirmed a search is underway but provided no other details.
Submersible tours are offered by OceanGate Expeditions, a U.S.-based company with operations in Newfoundland. The tours cost about $250,000 and makes a 3,800-metre dive down to the wreckage.
Those tours are a series of five eight-day missions to the Titanic with the money raised by tourists going toward Titanic research. Posts on social media show the ship launched from the St. John's area last week.
The company's CEO, Stockton Rush, could not be reached for comment Monday.
He spoke with CBC News in April, saying it was the earliest the expeditions had gone ahead. They typically aim for the summer months, since June is still iceberg season off the coast of Newfoundland.
"I've always wanted to see the icebergs or maybe even have the fortunate chance to dive next to one," he said. "So with the Polar Prince and its ice capabilities, we thought let's move the trip a little earlier this year."
Rush said the sea is typically calmer in May and June, which also influenced the decision to go earlier.
OceanGate Expeditions has been working to measure things such as erosion of the Titanic and examining forms of life growing onboard the wreckage. This year, the company planned to return to a coral reef found 3,000 metres beneath the surface. The development had been altered by iron from the sunken ship.
Rush said the expedition always abides by rules set out by the United Nations on how to work near the Titanic without disturbing the wreckage, which is also a mass grave site.
"It's much more manoeuvrable than other submersibles that have been down there and we are very careful to not touch the wreck and to really just capture the images and the data around it," he said. "We're trying to be just observers."