Which episode of The Simpsons predicted the Titanic-bound submersible going missing? Conspiracy theory floods the internet amid crisis

As search and rescue for the missing OceanGate submersible carrying five passengers to the site of Titianic's wreckage, expands "exponentially," a The Simpsons episode featuring a submarine going missing is making the rounds on social media.

OceanGate's submersible, named Titan, went missing in the wee hours of Sunday, June 18, 2023, about 370 miles off the coast of Newfoundland in Canada.

Onboard the vessel are British billionaire Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shanzada Dawood and his teenage son Sulaiman, French Titanic expert and diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and OceanGate CEO and founder Stockton Rush.

As the story developed, former The Simpsons writer and producer Mike Reiss' revealed details about his trip on the said missing submersible in 2022. He told The Sun, that it was a "beautiful experience" but added that he was aware death "hung over him."

"I've taken three different dives with the company and every time communication was an issue," the 63-year-old stated.

Soon, news of the comedy writer's 1998 episode of the TV show titled Simpson Tide went viral, sending netizens into a frenzy.

This 19th episode of season 9 featured Homer joining the U.S. Naval Reserve after being fired from his job which leads to him being stuck on a submarine. One of the scenes from the episode showed the wreckage of a ship split into two and another where the submarine's oxygen dropped to zero.

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Internet reacts to old The Simpsons episode eerily similar to OceanGate submersible going missing

As news of Mike Reiss' interview and The Simspons episode spread, Twitterati was left baffled at its similarities with the real incident, sparking conspiracy theories.

They called the creators of the episode "psychics" and "time-travelers" for predicting the submersible going missing.

A comment reacting to the news (Image via Twitter/ @iBayleybeats)

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What did Mike Reiss say about the submersible?

In his interview with BBC Breakfast on Monday, June 19, 2023, the 63-year-old producer stated:

"I know the logistics of it and I know how vast the ocean is and how very tiny this craft is... If it’s down at the bottom I don’t know how anyone is going to be able to access it, much less bring it back up."

Reiss explained that in his three Titanic expeditions aboard the Titan, the vessel "almost always lost communication." He added that at the back of his mind, he was always worried he would "never get off" the vessel.

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Late Tuesday evening, it was reported that banging noises were by some search and rescue crews, redirecting the efforts to the location. While rescue measures continue, the passengers aboard the submersible have less than 12 hours of oxygen supply remaining.