'Pieces of the Titanic fell on us': Scientist recounts terrifying experience of getting stuck in the shipwreck
Following the tragedy of the Titan submersible, US scientist and journalist Michael Guillen shares with CNA about his own harrowing experience in a similar vessel during a visit to the Titanic wreck 23 years ago.
Dr Michael Guillen describes the size of the port hole of the Russian-made Mir1 submersible while recounting his experience to CNA's Asia First.
When Dr Michael Guillen received an invitation to visit the Titanic wreck in September 2000 in a tiny Russian-made submersible, he was reluctant at first due to his fear of water.
But his curiosity as a trained physicist, and the opportunity to be the first journalist to report from the world’s most famous shipwreck, changed his mind soon after.
“As a scientist, I was interested in seeing the Titanic and reporting to the public about it. It was a great opportunity to educate people about the wreck,” said Dr Guillen, who was the science editor at America’s ABC News at that time.
After taking off from Halifax in Canada’s Nova Scotia, a Russian research ship ferried the vessel and its crew to about 600km off Newfoundland, where the Titanic sank.
Dr Guillen and his dive buddy Brian then climbed into the Mir1 submersible, piloted by a Russian named Viktor.
“I was lying on my stomach all the time, looking out of an eight-inch port hole, which didn’t let you see much,” he told CNA’s Asia First on Friday (Jun 23), describing the cramped conditions in the small three-man vessel.
Following two and a half hours of a corkscrew descent into the depths of the ocean, the immense wreckage of the Titanic loomed in front of the sub.
There, the men paused for a moment of prayer for the 1,496 victims of the gigantic ship, once claimed by its builders as practically unsinkable.
STUCK UNDER TITANIC’S PROPELLER
After touring the Titanic’s bow, the sub was heading towards the stern of the wreck, when Dr Guillen noticed they were travelling too fast.
Their vessel had been caught in a fast-moving current, causing it to crash into one of the sunken ship’s giant propellers, and become lodged under its massive blades.
“Pieces of the Titanic fell on us, and I knew immediately we were in crisis,” he recalled.
Amid the engine’s roars and grunts as Viktor desperately tried to jostle the vessel out of its stuck position, Dr Guillen experienced a “rollercoaster of emotions”.
“As a scientist, I naturally tried to figure out a solution to our problem at first. But I quickly realised there was no viable way to escape, there was no way out,” he said.
“I experienced enormous sadness. I'll never forget that crushing sadness. I felt like the whole weight of the ocean was on my shoulders. I was basically buried alive at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.”
Dr Guillen said he thought of his wife and how he would never see her again.
“This voice was in my head – I'll never forget for the rest of my life – it said, ‘This is how it's going to end for you’,” he continued.
“And then I experienced an enormous peace that I cannot explain.”
Dr Guillen has explored the North and South Poles, and reported on the Gulf War, among many risky adventures and near-death experiences in his capacity as a scientist and a journalist.
However, the moments pinned under debris some 4km beneath the surface truly felt like “the end of the line”, he said.
About half an hour into the ordeal, the strained noises of the engine calmed and Dr Guillen said the sub felt like it was floating.
Viktor, who was a former Russian MiG fighter jet pilot, had managed to dislodge the vessel from the blades of the propeller.
“This was a man used to dealing with life and death situations, keeping his cool under pressure. I wouldn't be here talking with you today if it weren't for Viktor's skills,” he said.
DANGERS OF DEEP-SEA EXPLORATION
Dr Guillen described the Mir1 submersible as a hardy vessel made to withstand hostile deep-sea conditions and built “for a serious purpose”. The sub is meant for scientific research and has made deep water exploration trips many times.
In contrast, industry leaders have for years warned of a lack of certification and possible safety issues with the Titan submersible, which was found in pieces on the ocean floor on Thursday after a failed tourism trip to the Titanic.
“There are legitimate questions to be asked, as to whether (the Titan) was genuinely seaworthy. Should it have been allowed to go down there?” Dr Guillen asked.
Related:
The United States Coast Guard said the Titan had suffered a "catastrophic implosion" that killed all five passengers aboard. Operated by US-based company OceanGate Expeditions, the sub lost contact with its surface support ship about an hour and 45 minutes into its dive last Sunday, triggering a massive multi-country search and rescue effort involving planes and ships.
Dr Guillen said that being able to locate the vessel was tremendously important for the industry and for science, as this means experts could now piece the fragments together and figure out what went wrong.
He also called for a pause in expeditions to the Titanic, in particular tourist trips, adding that many people undermine the dangers of deep sea exploration.
“The wisest thing to do now is to temporarily pause all future trips to the Titanic, until we have answers on how and why the vessel failed,” he said.
“The ocean is a very dangerous, unforgiving place. You don't mess with the ocean. It's like a beast that's ready to swallow you up if you make a single mistake. This is not a joy ride to some Disneyland destination.
“Also, this is not just a shipwreck; this is a grave site. We should respect the danger of the mission, and also respect the fact that this is the final resting place for the more than a thousand people who have been laid to rest here.”
