The heartrending search to locate and rescue the Titan submersible before it runs out of its four-day air supply will be the focus of a new fast-turnaround documentary on U.K. broadcaster Channel 5.
Titanic Sub: Lost at Sea has been scheduled to air on Thursday at 7 p.m. local time. The doc will be presented by 5 News host Dan Walker.
The ITN-produced documentary promises to go beyond news coverage and bring viewers up to date, while examining the wider context about the voyage, its passengers and the fascination with the Titanic shipwreck. The film will also talk to experts and look at the rise of extreme tourism.
ITN is a go-to production company in the U.K. for fast-turnaround films that react to current events. The outfit recently produced a special on British woman Nicola Bulley, who vanished in January without a trace while walking her dog, and was found dead three weeks later in a local river.
Ian Rumsey, managing director of content for ITN, said: This program will chart everything from the exploration itself, to the rise of extreme tourism, to the rescue attempts, but above all it will tell a very human story that has captured the nation which is about 5 people, all with families, who are trapped at the bottom of the ocean. Our expertise and heritage in fast-turnaround documentaries and reputation for responsible filmmaking means we always treat such stories with great sensitivity.
The Titan, which is roughly the size of a truck, went missing in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday with five crew members on board. Government agencies and deep-sea specialists are assisting with an extensive rescue operation. Banging sounds were detected in a search area on Tuesday, marking the first breakthrough in whats now been a three-day search and rescue operation for the submersible, which lost contact on Sunday about an hour and 45 minutes into its dive to see the Titanic wreck. The Titans air supply is projected to run out in less than 18 hours.
There are five people confirmed on board: British businessman Hamish Harding; British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman; former French Navy diver Paul-Henry Nargeolet; and OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush.