Being confined to a 22-foot submersible with oxygen running low, possibly thousands of feet underwater, is a dangerous and cramped scenario.
The five crew members’ conditions and the precise location of the Titanic submarine are unclear. The vessel may only have ten hours or fewer of oxygen left, making it urgent to locate the sub before it is too late.
Running out of air is not the only risk individuals on board face, as Dr. Ken Ledez, a hyperbaric medicine specialist at Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland, has stated to BBC News.
It’s possible that the vessel’s electrical system failed, which would have affected how much oxygen and carbon dioxide were present inside.
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The crew will be breathing out more carbon dioxide as the oxygen level drops, which might have catastrophic repercussions.
You will fall asleep when carbon dioxide concentrations increase because it becomes sedative and acts as an anesthetic gas.
Hypercapnia, or having too much gas in the bloodstream, can be fatal if left untreated.
Ryan Ramsey, a former commander of a Royal Navy submarine, claims that despite watching web videos of Titan’s interior, he was unable to see any scrubbers, which are used to remove carbon dioxide.
He states, “For me, that is the biggest issue of all of them.”
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The crew is also at risk of hypothermia, a condition in which the body becomes overly cold.
Capt. Ramsey asserts that the water’s temperature will be roughly 0C if the sub is on the ocean floor. It won’t be producing any power if it has also lost electricity, which means it can’t produce heat.
The crew’s capacity to communicate with the search and rescue mission, such as by beating on the hull at regular intervals to attempt and draw attention, will wane due to hypothermia, a lack of oxygen, and a buildup of carbon dioxide inside the sub.
According to Dr. Ledez, if someone is unconscious, they won’t be able to do much to aid themselves.
Submersible Titan from OceanGate
The crew may be able to conserve their supplies, at least for the time being, despite the Coast Guard’s warning that there is probably not much oxygen available.
While acknowledging that it could be challenging given the tension they would be under, Mr. Ramsey argues that slowing their breathing might also be beneficial.
They could either disperse carbon dioxide-absorbing granules or, if they still have electricity, consume less of it, according to Dr. Ledez.
Despite all of these difficulties, he warns against ending the search and rescue effort too soon because they might be able to survive even at extremely low oxygen levels.
Dr. Ledez asserts, “If anybody can survive in it, you know, it’s these people.” They could still be alive, but it simply depends on whether they have access to power and light to construct these controllers and find stuff.
