A submersible craft used to take people to view the wreck of the Titanic is missing and efforts are under way to bring its crew back safely, private firm OceanGate Expeditions and the Boston Coastguard said.
It is unclear how many people were on board when it went missing.
OceanGate deploys submersibles for deep sea expeditions and said it has received help from several government agencies in the process.
"We are exploring and mobilising all options to bring the crew back safely," the company told the BBC on Monday.
"Our entire focus is on the crew members in the submersible and their families.
"We are working toward the safe return of the crew members."
Following the success of their 2021 and 2022 expeditions to the wreck of the Titanic, OceanGate had announced that that they would continue to return annually to monitor the decay of the iconic vessel.
The shipwreck sits almost four-thousand metres at the bottom of the ocean... and about 600 kilometres off the coast of Newfoundland (NEW-fuhnd-land) in Canada.On their website OceanGate advertised an opportunity for 'qualified explorers' to join the expedition as one of six 'mission specialist' crew members whose training and support fees underwrite the 10-day mission and support the science team.
These tours fund the expedition with participants spending anywhere from $130,000 to $200,000 each.
The company emphasised that expeditions would be conducted respectfully and in accordance with NOAA guidelines, and comply with UNESCO guidelines for the preservation of underwater world heritage sites.
The carbon fibre-and-titanium submersible is outfitted with high-definition cameras and multi-beam sonar equipment.
OceanGate hopes that charting the decomposition of Titanic can help scientists predict the fate of other deep-sea wrecks, including those that sank during the world wars.
More to come.
ABC/Wires