On Thursday, a global search team combed the sea near the Titanic’s century-old wreck, the fifth day since a tourist submersible went missing with five people inside and only hours before its oxygen supply was supposed to run out.
The Titan, a minivan-sized submersible operated by OceanGate Expeditions in the United States, began its descent at 8 a.m. (1200 GMT) on Sunday and lost communication with its support ship near the conclusion of what should have been a two-hour dive to the wreck.
According to the company, the Titan set off with 96 hours of air, so its oxygen tanks would likely be depleted sometime on Thursday morning, though when exactly depends on factors such as whether the craft still has power and how to calm those on board are, experts say and assumes the craft is still intact.
The US Coast Guard stated on Wednesday that Canadian search planes had recorded subsurface noises using sonar buoys earlier that day and on Tuesday, giving rescue personnel and family and friends of the Titan’s five occupants hope.
The Coast Guard stated that remote-controlled underwater search vehicles directed to the location of the noises had produced no results. Officials believe the sounds did not come from the Titan.
On Wednesday, Coast Guard Captain Jamie Frederick said, “When you’re in the middle of a search-and-rescue case, you always have hope”, adding that the noise analysis had been inconclusive.
Jamie Frederick further said, “With regard to the noises in particular, we have no idea what they are”.
The French research ship Atalante has been traveling to the location, equipped with a robotic diving vessel capable of reaching depths even below the Titanic wreck, which lies around 12,500 feet (3,810 metres) below the surface of the North Atlantic.
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