Sunrise host Natalie Barr has asked whether the missing submarine lost near the Titanic’s wreck should have ventured into the depths in the first place.
The submersible Titan, which had a crew of five on board, vanished on its descent to the century-old wreck of the Titanic, which lies 12,500 feet below the ocean’s surface in the North Atlantic on Sunday.
Rescue teams are racing against time as the Titan crew enter their final 24 hours of oxygen supply.
Barr delivered a difficult question to retired United States Navy submarine commander David Marquet, asking if it was appropriate for the vessel to go down considering its limitations.
Sunrise host Natalie Barr (pictured) boldly asked on the program whether the crew of the missing submersible should have gone searching for the wreck of the Titanic in the first place
‘We are still hearing all the things people are saying about why they should not have gone. The passenger window was only certified to go half the depth that it went.’ she said.
‘Should they be there in the first place?’
Mr Marquet appeared somewhat stunned and paused for a moment to consider his answer.
‘They are adults, and they made a decision. It’s hard to question the judgement,’ he responded.
‘The CEO of the company is on this ship, so he obviously believes in the equipment.’
‘Knowing what I know, what it takes to keep nuclear submarines running, you would not be finding me on that ship, but it’s easy after-the-fact to find criticism.’
The retired US Navy captain said he appreciated people who pushed ‘the envelope in terms of exploring and innovation’ but added that ‘sometimes they push a little too far’.
The submersible Titan (pictured), which had a a crew of five on-board, vanished on its descent to the century-old wreck of the Titanic that lies 12,500 feet below the ocean’s surface in the North Atlantic on Sunday
Former submarine commander David Marquet (pictured) appeared somewhat stunned by the question before admitting that he would not have gone on the vessel knowing the risks
The OceanGate submarine was reported missing while taking passengers to view the Titanic wreckage in a $250,000-a-head tour in the Atlantic ocean, about 700km south of Newfoundland, Canada, at 6.13am AEST on Monday.
Five people including British billionaire Hamish Harding, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet and UK-based businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Sulaiman were onboard.
Titan lost communication with the surface just one hour and 45 minutes into its journey.
The US Coast Guard is leading the search for the 22ft (6.7metre) vessel, which is believed to have less than 45 hours of oxygen left – enough to last until 12pm (9pm AEST) on Thursday.
The wreckage of the Titanic sits 3,810 metres (12,500ft) under water around 700km (370miles) south of Newfoundland, Canada
British billionaire Hamish Harding (left) and French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet (right) are among the passengers onboard the missing vessel
CEO of OceanGate exhibitions Stockton Rush (left) and Vice-Chairman of Engro Corporation Limited Shahzada Dawood along with his son Suleman (right) are among the passengers onboatd
Inside the small tourist submersible there are no seats only one toilet – a small black box – with a black curtain drawn across for privacy. All passengers are barefoot and must sit on the floor.
The US and Canadian Coast Guards are leading the search for the submersible and have deployed vessels and aircrafts to search above and below the water.
Rear Admiral John Mauger, first district commander of the US Coast Guard is overseeing the search and rescue operation.
‘We were notified yesterday [Sunday] afternoon and we began immediately to mobilise assets to search both the surface of the water, search from the air, and to detect any vessels under the water as well,’ Admiral Mauger told reporters.
‘We’ve had a comprehensive search to find these people. ‘It is a challenge to conduct a search in that remote area but we are deploying all available assets to make sure we can locate the craft and rescue the people on board.’
The US Coast Guard has deployed two C-130 aircraft as part of their search, while they are in contact with commercial ships in the area to monitor the water’s surface in case the missing submersible has come back up.
Inside the small tourist submersible there are no seats only one toilet. All passengers are barefoot and must sit on the floor. It is believed passengers have enough oxygen to last until 12pm (9pm AEST) on Thursday
People inside a Titan taking photos of the wreckage on their smartphones through a round window at the front
The commercial boats also have access to sonar buoys that are capable of listening to a depth of 13,000ft, Rear Admiral John Mauger of the US Coast Guard added.
While the search initially focused on the surface of the water, the team of rescuers are now expanding their search into deeper waters.
A deep sea pipelay vessel, named Deep Energy, arrived at the Titanic wreckage site so its crew can search the seafloor using cameras.
France will also send a ship equipped with a deep-sea diving vessel to help the search-and-rescue operation.
