Topline
A Canadian maritime surveillance plane detected “underwater noises” early Wednesday in the area where rescue teams are attempting to locate the missing Titan submersible that lost contact with the surface on Sunday while exploring the wreck of the Titanic.
An undated photo shows tourist submersible belongs to OceanGate descents at a sea. Search and rescue … [+] operations continue by US Coast Guard in Boston after a tourist submarine bound for the Titanic’s wreckage site went missing off the southeastern coast of Canada.
Key Facts
The U.S. Coast Guard said noises were detected by a Canadian P-3 military surveillance aircraft, which is designed to track and hunt military submarines.
The discovery of the noises prompted rescuers to relocate their remote-operated vehicle search operation, but so far this has not resulted in the detection of the submersible, although the search is continuing.
The data collected by the surveillance plane has also been shared with the U.S. Navy for further analysis, which the Coast Guard says may help direct future search efforts.
Crucial Quote
The New York-based Explorers Club, whose member Hamish Harding is on board the missing submersible, said in a statement: “Likely signs of life have been detected at the site,” based on data collected from the field. It is unclear if this is the same bit of data detected by the Canadian military plane. They added that the group now has “direct lines to the highest levels of Congress, The Coast Guard, Air Force, Navy and the White House.”
Big Number
96 hours. That is the estimated time it would take to deplete all sources of oxygen on board the Titan submersible. By Tuesday afternoon, the oxygen reserve had likely been depleted to around 40 hours, the U.S. Coast Guard estimated.
Key Background
The missing submersible is operated by OceanGate Expeditions, whose CEO Stockton Rush is also said to be aboard the submersible. British aviation mogul and adventurer Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood—a board member of energy and petrochemical conglomerate Engro Corp.— Dawood’s son and 77-year-old Titanic researcher Paul-Henri Nargeolet are also on board. The submersible began its dive to the site of the Titanic’s wreck on Sunday but lost contact with its support ship on the surface after less than two hours. The state of the submersible and its passengers is unknown.
Further Reading
Titanic Sub Search: Fact-Checking Claims About The Tourist Submersible That Went Missing (Forbes)
‘No Radar, No GPS’: Here’s Why Underwater Search And Rescue Missions Are So Tough (Forbes)
What We Know About The Passengers On The Missing Titanic Submersible (Forbes)
