Questions linger as responders try to locate a submersible from OceanGate that went missing Sunday while trying to dive to the Titanic. The sub had a crew of five aboard when it lost contact in the North Atlantic, roughly an hour and 45 minutes into its dive. It’s unknown whether the sub is floating on the surface, floating in the water, or is sitting on the ocean floor. Experts have discussed the considerations and response strategies that would be required to treat survivors if they are found alive.
Matthew Levy, deputy director of operational medicine for the Johns Hopkins emergency medicine department, said that the symptoms of a hypoxic environment should be treated, including hypercarbia, or a buildup of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream. Ocean temperatures can be extremely cold, particularly at depth, so responders might need to treat for hypothermia, too. Doctors would also have to consider other physiologic stressors from having limited rations, including hypoglycemia and dehydration, as well as exacerbation of underlying chronic conditions or comorbidities.
If a rescue were possible, doctors would need to assess physical trauma, such as soft tissue, musculoskeletal, or head injuries. Barotrauma events, such as decompression sickness, pneumothorax, and air embolism, could be possible if the participants experienced a rapid change in ascent or descent inside the vessel.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated that one atmosphere accounts for about 14.6 pounds per square inch (PSI) of pressure. The deep-sea ecology lecturer at the University of Portsmouth in England, Nicolai Roterman, provided a statement to the UK’s Science Media Centre, explaining that If there was any kind of hull breach, the occupants would succumb to the ocean in a near instant, given the more than 5,500 PSI pressure exerted by the ocean at the depth of 3,800 meters, which is 380 times the air pressure at the surface.
As there’s been no contact since Sunday, many are doubtful of rescue efforts. Nonetheless, Roterman cautioned against future expeditions, stating that With the growth in deep-sea tourism, we must expect more incidents like this. Deep-sea tourism is not without impacts on the environment and, rather like the tragedies and human detritus left on Mt. Everest, a conversation is warranted about whether this is a worthwhile human endeavor going forward.
