The thought of being trapped in a submarine 12,500 feet deep in the Atlantic, with your chances of survival rapidly depleting along with the oxygen supply, is too horrible to even comprehend. Well, except for Hamish Harding’s stepson maybe:

That’s why we have experts like forensic psychologist Dr. Sohom Das to do the thinking for us, and according to him, the five missing passengers are in ‘intense emotional turmoil’ (no sh*t) as they enter their final hours of oxygen supply. Maybe don’t read on if you’re particularly claustrophobic:

‘I think they must be in intense emotional turmoil.

On the one hand, part of them is still going to be clinging on to hope. There’s going to be a part of them that believes that they will be found and they will be rescued.

But I think as time passes, reality is going to seep in.’

As time passes, the NHS doctor says the trapped passengers will have lots of different reactions to their situation, and that their ‘reactions, their emotions might change over time.’

‘So at some point they’re going to be quite reflective upon their lives when they’re literally staring into the jaws of death and at other points, they’re likely to feel extremely panicked, extremely anxious.

They’re going to suffer from physical symptoms from hyperventilation to feeling dizzy to chest pains. They’re just going to be overwhelmed emotionally with trying to get to grips with what’s happening to them. …

I’m sure the intense, claustrophobic nature of the scenario that they’re in as they come to grips with the possibility of losing their lives will just add to the overall tension and the feelings of anxiety that they have.’

So, panicking, feeling sick and contemplating their lives? Well call me a forensic psychologist because I probably could’ve told you that. Although there’s never been an ocean rescue from quite so deep so I guess Dr. Das is the closes thing we have to an expert.

Then again, other experts are suggesting the trapped passengers will already be dead, because that submarine is basically a crushed Coke can at the bottom of the ocean. Seems no one can say for sure what the situation is that deep down in the ocean.

If the trapped passengers are still alive, the best they can obviously hope for right now is a billion-to-one shot of being rescued. The next best thing they can hope for is a quick and easy death where they pass out before they realise what’s happening. Let’s keep hoping for the former.

For tonight’s Channel 5 documentary on the subject which is already sparking backlash, click HERE.