How many feet down is the Titanic? When and where did it sink?
The ill-fated Titan submersible was on a mission to visit the site where the Titanic sank. When did the Titanic sink and where is the ship’s wreckage?
The sinking of the Titanic remains one of the most famous maritime disasters in history and has captured public interest and attention for over a hundred years.
The RMS Titanic was a British passenger liner that embarked on its maiden voyage from England on April 10, 1912, bound for New York City in the United States. It made brief stops at Cherbourg, France, and Queenstown (now known as Cobh), Ireland, to pick up additional passengers.
Shortly before midnight on April 14th, 1912, the Titanic, at the time the world’s largest passenger ship, struck an iceberg, and a few hours later completely sank in the icy waters of the Northern Atlantic Ocean.
There were 2,224 passengers on board the ship, of which around 1,500 died after striking the iceberg.
The most famous shipwreck
The wreckage of the Titanic was discovered on September 1, 1985, by a joint French-American expedition led by Jean-Louis Michel of IFREMER (French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea) and Dr. Robert Ballard of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The shipwreck lies at a depth of about 12,500 feet (3,800 meters) on the ocean floor.
Since the historic tragedy took place, various submarine missions to the ocean floor to investigate the wreckage have been carried out over the last century, the latest one being the tragic expedition of the Titan submersible which resulted in the deaths of all five passengers on board due to a catastrophic implosion.
Where did the Titanic sink?
The inaugural and last voyage of the Titanic departed Southampton, England, and was destined for New York City. The ship sank approximately 370 miles (600 kilometers) southeast of Newfoundland, Canada. The exact coordinates of the sinking are approximately 41.73°N latitude and 49.95°W longitude.
Titan wreckage found near the Titanic
Pieces of the Titan submersible were recovered in the area of the Titanic. The OceanGate vessel’s tail cone was found by a remotely operated vehicle approximately 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic on the sea floor.
The ROV found more debris that was found to be consistent with “the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber,” according to the US Coast Guard.