Titanic incident: How much will the US Coast Guard charge for search and rescue? | World news
Since the unfortunate implosion of the Titan submersible which claimed the lives of five people on board, a question that has been doing the rounds on the internet is “Will the company that owns the ship bear the costs of rescue efforts by the US coast guard?” .
While search and rescue efforts are estimated to cost millions, on Sunday, a top official quoted by Business Insider said the US Coast Guard will not “associate cost with human life.” Rear Admiral John Mauger spoke to the media on the matter and indicated that the Coast Guard will not charge anything.
“As a matter of US law and Coast Guard policy, the Coast Guard does not charge for search and rescue. We always answer the call,” Mauger said.
He also noted that the Coast Guard even accepts people who put their lives at risk, sometimes intentionally as a result of inadequate safety equipment, bad training, or even while drinking.
“The sea is an unforgiving environment, and every weekend there are risks… But we still answer the call. We do practical work with a risk that is guaranteed to put our equipment and we put our lives in danger to save others. This is who we are,” Mauger said. .
ALSO READ| Titanic submersible mishap: All you need to know about ‘Titanic’ explorer incident that killed five after implosion
According to reports, OceanGate that owns the Titanic submersible charges its passengers $250,000 each for the adventure exploration of the Titanic wreck. Some taxpayers and netizens have demanded that Oceangate be held accountable for the costs incurred during the search and rescue operation as the company has been accused of not following adequate safety measures while operating the vessel.
The Titan submersible disappeared on June 18 and search-and-rescue efforts were launched with the US, Canada, France, and the United Kingdom. The teams deployed sonar buoys to detect noise underwater up to 13,000 feet deep, sent several helicopters to the scene and used a remotely operated vehicle to search for the underwater Titan. Wreckage of the Titanic was found approximately 1,600ft (480m) from the bow of the Titanic wreck.
Meanwhile, there are negligible opportunities to recover the dead. British billionaire businessman Hamish Harding, his father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood who have roots in Pakistan as one of the richest families, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and former French navy diver Paul-Henry Nargeolet are five people who died as the crew of the Titan submersible.
