While most of us were hiking, brunching, or sleeping off the aftermath of Saturday evening, some were not enjoying their regular Sunday afternoon. After a submarine on a tourist expedition to the Titanic shipwreck in the Atlantic Ocean ‘set sail’ this Sunday morning, it soon vanished, prompting the deepest undersea rescue mission thus far.

It might seem ironic that the iconic ship which graced the depths of the Atlantic for more than a century is responsible for a disaster like this. However, with “around 70 hours of air left,” according to the Daily Mail, there was no time to think about that, as the U.S. Coast Guard was quick on its feet to launch a search and rescue operation. The clock is ticking and the deep-sea vessel has not been located yet.

This Sunday, a tourist submarine headed to the wreckage of the Titanic went missing, prompting the deepest undersea rescue mission ever

Image credits: oceangate

The iconic passenger ship tragically sunk in 1912, sparking the interest of many explorers (and filmmakers)

Image credits: oceangateexped

Image credits: oceangateexped

Billionaire Hamish Harding had excitedly posted on social media about being one of the five members on the expedition

Image credits: actionaviationchairman

Harding posted a pic of himself on Sunday, hyping up the fact that he’d be the last tourist to see the Titanic this year

Image credits: Hamish Harding

Joining the expedition were French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet (left) and Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate Expedition (right)

Image credits: Hamish Harding

Image credits: Hamish Harding

One of Pakistan’s richest men, Shahzada Dawood, and his teenage son are also believed to be part of the expedition

Image credits: World Economic Forum

Image credits: Hamish Harding

This is the last known photo of the submarine which has been missing for well over 24 hours

Image credits: Hamish Harding

Image credits: Hamish Harding

To be aboard the submarine, each member is expected to splash $250,000

Image credits: oceangate

Because of the difficult nature of the situation, the rescue team had to deploy deep-water equipment

Image credits: oceangate

In a video captured during a previous mission, the inside of the submarine is shown, giving us a glimpse of its interior

Image credits: oceangate

The Boston Coast Guard has been desperately searching for the missing vessel ever since it went AWOL

Image credits: MarineTraffic

On Monday morning, a search and rescue mission was initiated in the North Atlantic following the disappearance of a tourist submarine that was on an expedition to explore the wreckage of the Titanic. Lt. Jordan Hart from the U.S. Coast Guard in Boston confirmed to CBS News that rescue efforts were currently underway off the coast of Newfoundland.

The submersible went underwater during a dive around 4AM Sunday morning, and contact with the crew was lost approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes into the dive, according to a tweet from the Coast Guard. OceanGate Expeditions, a company specializing in manned submersible expeditions, confirmed that they are “exploring and mobilizing all options to bring the crew back safely.”

Today, the US Coast Guard announced that an extensive search covering an area of 10,000 square miles in the North Atlantic Ocean had been conducted for the missing submersible. Given that the vessel is equipped with sufficient air supply to sustain five individuals for 96 hours, it was estimated that the “maximum life support” would endure until Thursday morning.

Despite the limited progress in the situation, apart from the encouraging news that “signs of life have been detected at the site,” Andrew Von Kerens, a spokesperson for OceanGate Expeditions, issued a statement to Bored Panda:

“For some time, we have been unable to establish communications with one of our submersible exploration vehicles which is currently visiting the wreck site of the Titanic. 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. 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.”

People on the internet shared their prayers and bewilderment at such a risky venture in the first place

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