Time is running out to rescue the five people trapped inside a submersible that went missing in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland while trying to view the wreckage of the Titanic.

Crews from the United States and Canada are racing to find the vessel as its oxygen reserves run down.

The 6.7-metre-long submersible lost contact with its mother ship on Sunday, about an hour and 45 minutes after it began its voyage to the Titanic shipwreck.

It had about 96 hours worth of oxygen when it was launched, meaning the air is likely to run out this morning.

 

 

Two federal cabinet ministers say the Canadian government’s focus is on saving lives in the search for the sunken submersible — not on the cost of the rescue operation.

The minister responsible for the Canadian Coast Guard, Joyce Murray, says the mounting bills for the U.S.-led mission are “irrelevant” so long as there was a chance of saving those on the 6.4-metre sub.

Defence Minister Anita Anand said much the same thing later when she confirmed the Royal Canadian Navy had dispatched HMCS Glace Bay, a maritime coastal defence vessel.

Observers on social media have been raising questions about the logic behind committing so many resources to saving members of an elite, high-risk expedition that charged members of the public 250-thousand dollars to take part.

 

 

Nova Scotia Health Minister Michelle Thompson says in rural communities, the nearest doctor is sometimes up to half an hour away.

The health minister made the comments yesterday following revelations that a patient died last week after going into cardiac arrest in a hospital in Middleton, Nova Scotia, where not doctor was available.

In a letter to Premier Tim Houston, Middleton Mayor Sylvester Atkinson says volunteer firefighters were called to Soldiers Memorial Hospital to attend to a patient because the closest doctor was 30 minutes away.

Thompson says the province is in the midst of recruiting more health care workers, including doctors in rural areas.

 

 

A newly-released report suggests the province’s freedom of information and protection of privacy laws are outdated.

In the report, Information and Privacy Commissioner Tricia Ralph indicates that her department needs more staff and stronger laws to be effective.

Nova Scotia’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act has not had a significant update since 1993, when it was created.

 

 

The N-H-L Players’ Association has announced the pre-season NHL game being played in Sydney as a result of the annual Kraft Hockeyville competition.

The Florida Panthers and the Ottawa Senators will face off on October 1st at Centre 200 in Sydney.