British Navy expert warns ‘timescale’ of missing Titanic sub is ‘very concerning’

A former British Navy officer has warned that the “timescale” of the missing Titanic submersible is “very concerning” – as it emerged that there has been no sign of life from the vessel for the past seven hours.

Former Rear Admiral Chris Parry told Sky News that the OceanGate Expeditions vessel could have fallen foul of a “catastrophic failure” or even have become tangled up in the debris of the famed shipwreck.

“It’s very concerning indeed,” he said.

“Having listened to the timescale it’s very worrying.”

He went on to describe the possible “optimistic” and “catastrophic” circumstances that could have taken place hundreds or even thousands of feet below the surface of the water.

“There’s an optimistic option and that’s that it’s either lost an umbilical communication with the surface or indeed there’s been a malfunction and the submarine continues to operate but obviously out of contact with its mother ship,” he said.

“Obviously on the other end of the scale there could have been an accident. It could have become entangled in the wreckage of the Titanic. It could indeed have had a catastrophic failure.

“The answer is we don’t know just yet. What we do know of course is the wreck site is off the grand banks, it’s a long way from anywhere and the nearest rescue facility will be on the East Coast of the United States.”

OceanGate Expeditions, a company offering eight-day tourist missions to see the Titanic wreckage at a cost of $250,000 per person, confirmed on Monday that its submarine was lost at sea with crew members on board.

The company said in a statement to CBS News that it is “exploring and mobilizing all options to bring the crew back safely.”

“Our entire focus is on the crewmembers in the submersible and their families,” it said, adding that it is “deeply thankful for the extensive assistance we have received from several government agencies and deep sea companies in our efforts to reestablish contact with the submersible”.

The exact number of people missing remains unclear but the company’s submersibles can carry up to five people at a time.

It is also unclear if they are all crew members or if some are paying tourists.

There has been no communication from the sub for…