University of North Carolina Wilmington Professor Has Ties To OceanGate And The Missing Titanic Sub

A professor out of the University of North Carolina Wilmington has ties to the company OceanGate. OceanGate operates the missing Titanic sub. WSOC-TV is reporting that Dr. Steve Ross is currently serving as the chief scientist for OceanGate. Dr. Ross, a professor in the University's Center for Marine Science is currently onboard the ship's support vessel. Aka he's on the boat that launched the submersible that is missing. This story has captivated the nation, and it's interesting to learn that it has a local connection as well.

According to UNC Wilmington via WSOC-TV, Ross is “safe, but unreachable.” The support vessel Ross is on lost contact with the submersible on Sunday about an hour and 45 minutes into the dive to the Titanic wreck site. A massive multi-station search is currently unfolding in the North Atlantic with time ticking. It is believed there is enough oxygen on the sub for the 5 people on board to survive into Thursday. Multiple news outlets are reporting today that banging sounds have been picked up by sonar within the search area. This gives a glimmer of hope that these individuals could be found alive.

As someone who was fascinated by the Titanic as a child (why were we all?), I have been glued to this story. I hope that somehow they are able to not only locate the sub, but get it to the surface, and open in time. I can only imagine the fear the individuals trapped are feeling. But I also feel for the University of North Carolina Wilmington professor and his OceanGate colleagues that are on the support vessel. I will be following along closely all day in hopes of seeing developments.