The U.S. Coast Guard's International Ice Patrol memorialized the Titanic this week, decades after the ill-fated ocean liner struck an iceberg on April 14, 1912, southeast of Newfoundland.

"When you look at where the Titanic sank, roughly about the same latitude as Providence, Rhode Island, it surprises a lot of people to realize that icebergs are that far south," Lt. Cmdr. Byron Willeford told NTV News.

About 1,500 people died in the Titanic disaster, despite claims by publicists that the ship was "practically unsinkable."

The Ice Patrol flies over the North Atlantic Ocean to prevent another such tragedy, releasing high-tech monitors that predict the movements of large icebergs.

The icebergs are nearly impossible to destroy due to their massive size, so estimating their whereabouts is the best alternative.

Hundreds of icebergs can pass through Atlantic shipping lanes in any given year, although the amount fluctuates depending on climate changes.

A normal reconnaissance flight lasts about seven hours, as the crew covers about 77,700 square kilometers of ocean, using HC-130H Hercules aircraft.

The information helps ships avoid the same tragedy as the famous ocean liner, saving lives in an increasingly crowded region of the Atlantic.

"Many lives are at risk, and there is a lot of property at risk as well," Willeford said. "The commercial fleet is growing every year."

This week the Ice Patrol laid wreaths where the Titanic now rests, as it has done every year for more than eight decades.

As the crew flew over the wreckage site, a memorial was read over the intercom system, remembering the "1,500 souls who perished on that fateful day."

"It's important for us to pay tribute to the Titanic," said Petty Officer Jeremy Sherrills. "That's the whole reason why we're here, that's how it got started.

It also keeps us focused on why we need to continue to do our job."

The Titanic serves as a warning that icebergs always pose a serious threat. Some experts believe the ship sank in about 20 minutes.

However, naval architect Roger Long, who examined parts of the ship's hull, said it sank in just five minutes.

The hull was found last year and had been missing since the wreckage was found in 1985.

With a report by NTV's Glen Carter in St. John's

CTV.ca News Staff