What would happen to the human body if it dived down to the Titanic shipwreck?

The term ‘catastrophic implosion’ is now a buzzword after the United States Coast Guard announced that this is what happened to the Titan submersible, which disappeared last Sunday and whose debris was found by the officials who collaborated in the rescue efforts.

Among the pieces found 1,600 feet from the Titanic were the Titan cone and the pressure chamber, although the capsule in which the five passengers were traveling has not yet been found.

There are many unknowns as to what was the exact cause of the implosion. However, experts explained what could be experienced at almost 12,500 feet deep, where the Titanic lies.

Immense pressure at Titanic’s depth

José Luis Martín, a marine merchant and expert on submarines, gave an interview to NIUS in which he explained the role played by pressure at that depth. “It’s brutal, 400 kilos per square centimeter (6,500 pounds per square inch). He said that in trying to imagine how the submersible would withstand the pressure, one would have to assume that the vessel withstood the impact when it hit the seafloor.

“It could only have done so if it had landed at low speed,” which would keep it from imploding. He also explained why there is no human technology that could have rescued the Titan’s passengers even if the Titan had reached the seabed intact.

Martín said even assuming the vessel was still whole, one has to consider that it cannot move, that the darkness is absolute at that depth, and that it would be impossible to find it. He adds that temperatures are also very low and sea currents are strong. He said “there is no equipment” capable of preparing one of these submersibles to withstand that pressure.

What would happen to the human body if it dived down to the Titanic shipwreck?

Assuming that a diver had sufficient air supply to swim all the way down to the Titanic shipwreck, provided by an air tank as scuba divers use, there are several factors that would likely result in death.

Pressure

The pressure, as Martín mentioned, would be brutal, and with the hydrostatic pressure- or force of a liquid on an object- multiplied 400 times what it is on the surface, the human body would likely perish way before it reaches the wreck.

Many divers have died trying to break the deep diving record set by Ahmed Gabr in 2014, which he trained intensively for and is recorded at a little more than 1,000 feet. Even at this depth, the lungs of many humans collapse as they are unable to move against the pressure. The immense amount of ambient pressure from the water is so much greater than the body’s internal pressure, so the lungs would collapse completely, resulting in instant death.

Temperature

A diver would also have to contend with extreme temperatures at those depths. The temperature two miles below the surface is below the freezing point of freshwater. The seawater is not frozen simply because of the salt in it. Because of the cold, the diver would freeze to death.

Nitrogen in air supply

If a diver were to breathe normal air as is available on the surface, the amount of nitrogen that would be absorbed by the body as it descended into the sea could reach toxic levels long before it reaches the seabed. Toxicity levels of nitrogen can be reached as early as 200 feet, at which death can take place.

The date on which the remains of the Titanic could disappear forever

A recent investigation by Caladan Oceanic, which managed to photograph the wreckage of the Titanic for the first time in 14 years, revealed the liner’s rapid deterioration. There are parts that have completely disappeared and what remains continues to be devoured by bacteria.

With the 4K quality photographs showing the ship as it had never been seen before, researchers believe that the Titanic will disappear in a couple of decades.