Missing Titanic submersible: The health risks facing the crew

It is simply a claustrophobic, terrifying imaginable - being trapped successful a 22ft submersible, perchance thousands of feet underwater, with oxygen moving out.

The nonstop whereabouts of the Titanic submersible and the information of the 5 unit onboard are unknown. It is thought the vas whitethorn person little than 10 hours of oxygen remaining, creating a contention against clip to find the sub earlier it is excessively late.

As Dr Ken Ledez, a hyperbaric medicine adept astatine Memorial University successful St John's, Newfoundland, has told BBC News that moving retired of aerial is not the lone information those connected committee face.

The vas whitethorn person mislaid electrical power, which is apt to person a relation successful controlling the magnitude of oxygen and c dioxide wrong the vessel.

As the oxygen level falls, the proportionality of c dioxide being breathed retired by the unit volition beryllium rising, with perchance fatal consequences.

"As levels of c dioxide physique up, past it becomes sedative, it becomes similar an anaesthetic gas, and you volition spell to sleep."

Too overmuch of the state successful a person's bloodstream, known arsenic hypercapnia, tin termination them if not treated.

Former Royal Navy submarine skipper Ryan Ramsey says helium looked astatine videos online of the wrong of Titan and could not spot a c dioxide removal system, known arsenic scrubbers.

"That for maine is the top occupation of each of them," helium says.

At the aforesaid time, the unit are astatine hazard from hypothermia, wherever the assemblage gets excessively cold.

According to Capt Ramsey, if the sub is connected the seabed, the h2o somesthesia volition beryllium astir 0C. If it has besides mislaid electricity, it volition not beryllium generating immoderate powerfulness and truthful cannot make heat.

Hypothermia, the deficiency of oxygen and the build-up of c dioxide wrong the sub mean the crew's quality to marque interaction with the hunt and rescue mission, specified arsenic by banging connected the hull astatine regular intervals to effort and pull attention, volition dwindle.

"If they're unconscious, they're not going to beryllium capable to bash overmuch to assistance themselves," says Dr Ledez.

While the Coast Guard has warned determination is astir apt small oxygen left, the unit whitethorn beryllium capable to conserve their supplies - astatine slightest for a while.

Mr Ramsey says slowing their breathing would besides assistance but admits this could beryllium hard considering the accent they would beryllium under.

Dr Ledez says they could besides dispersed retired c dioxide-absorbing granules oregon trim their powerfulness usage if they inactive person electricity.

Despite each these challenges, helium urges against cancelling the search-and-rescue cognition excessively soon, saying they mightiness beryllium capable to past adjacent erstwhile oxygen levels are precise low.

"If anybody tin past successful it, you know, it's these individuals," says Dr Ledez. "It conscionable depends connected them having powerfulness and depends connected them having airy to beryllium capable to find things and marque these controls, but absolutely, they could inactive beryllium alive."