Submarine pilot, Emily Jateff, recently revealed that she had a close call with a ‘ghost net’ while on a submersible expedition to the Titanic in 2005. Ghost nets are abandoned fishing nets that can be several miles long and are a serious threat to navigation above and below water. The submersible Jateff was in suddenly ground to a halt, with the nose of the vehicle pointing downwards. The net had the potential to trap the submersible had crew members not been able to free it. Although it was momentarily terrifying, Jateff was relieved they were able to escape unharmed. The incident highlights the danger posed by ghost nets to the ocean and submersible missions.
Recently, a submersible vessel known as OceanGate Titan disappeared on its journey to the Titanic wreckage, with five crew members onboard, including Pakistani British-based businessman Shahzada Dawood, his son, explorer Hamish Harding, French submersible pilot Paul-Henry Nargeolet and OceanGate Expeditions chief executive, Stockton Rush. Search and rescue teams are still frantically trying to locate the vessel and its passengers. A ghost net is one theory as to what happened to the missing submersible, and rescue teams are working towards a race against time to find Titan and its passengers. The Horizon Arctic ship arrived at the site of the Titanic wreckage on Thursday, which seems to be the final major support vessel before Titan’s estimated deadline for breathable air.Â
