In August 1973, Roger Mallinson and Roger Chapman faced a life-threatening ordeal when they became trapped in their small submersible, Pisces III, at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. The two British men, experienced submariners, were working on a routine underwater task, laying transatlantic communication cables for a Canadian company, when disaster struck.
The incident occurred off the coast of Ireland, about 150 miles southwest of Cork. The Pisces III submersible was part of a fleet designed to operate at extreme depths, and on this particular mission, the vessel had descended to nearly 1,600 feet (480 meters) below the surface. After completing their task, they began their ascent. However, due to a combination of mechanical failures and a series of unfortunate events, their submersible became stuck and began to descend uncontrollably.
Mallinson and Chapman soon found themselves resting on the seabed, unable to move. Worse, their oxygen supply was dwindling rapidly. The submersible was designed with only enough breathable air to last about 72 hours. With no immediate way of freeing themselves, the two men were trapped in an isolated and claustrophobic environment, facing what seemed like an almost impossible rescue.
What followed was one of the most dramatic and intense underwater rescues in history. A multinational rescue effort was quickly launched, involving British, American, and Canadian naval forces, along with commercial ships equipped with underwater equipment. Over the next three days, rescuers scrambled to find and retrieve the tiny submersible.
As the hours ticked by, Mallinson and Chapman were forced to conserve as much air as possible. They kept physical movement to a minimum, rationed their limited supplies, and communicated with each other to maintain morale. With oxygen levels running dangerously low, they were on the brink of suffocation when rescuers finally located the sub.
On August 30, 1973, after 84 hours trapped underwater, Roger Mallinson and Roger Chapman were rescued from Pisces III. They were brought safely to the surface, surviving what became the longest-ever deep-sea rescue. Both men were physically weak but remarkably in good health, given the extreme conditions they had endured.
Their survival was nothing short of miraculous, and their story became an international sensation. The successful rescue of Mallinson and Chapman demonstrated the resilience of the human spirit and the incredible coordination of rescue efforts from around the world. To this day, the Pisces III incident remains a landmark event in deep-sea exploration and rescue operations, and both men were widely celebrated for their courage and calmness under extreme pressure.
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