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Rescuers searching for a missing submersible near the wreck of the Titanic on Wednesday concentrated their efforts on a remote area of the North Atlantic where a series of undersea noises have been detected.
However, officials have cautioned the sounds may not have originated from the vessel.
With estimates suggesting the air supply on board the submersible could run out by Thursday morning, an international coalition of rescue teams has swept a vast expanse of the ocean for the Titan, which disappeared on Sunday while taking five people deep into the ocean to visit the century-old wreck as part of a tourist expedition.
The US coast guard said remotely operated vehicle searches were deployed in the area where Canadian aircraft recorded the noises using sonar buoys on Tuesday and Wednesday but have not found any sign of the Titan yet.
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[ ‘We’ve feared this’: veteran Titanic explorer tells of concern for missing sub ]
[ Missing Titanic sub: What is the Titan craft and what is it like on board? ]
US coast guard Captain Jamie Frederick said at a press conference in Boston on Wednesday that analysis of the noises has been “inconclusive.”
“When you’re in the middle of a search-and-rescue case, you always have hope,” he said. “With respect to the noises specifically, we don’t know what they are, to be frank with you.”
He said: “The good news is we are searching in the area where the noises were detected.”
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On Titan’s dwindling oxygen levels, he said: “Oxygen is just one piece of data. There are lots of pieces of data that we need to study. But (oxygen) is not the only thing that’s important.”
The vessel reportedly had a 96-hour oxygen supply in case of emergencies.
Asked if they were still treating the passengers as alive, he said: “This is a search and rescue mission, no doubt about it”.
Even if the submersible is located, retrieving it presents huge logistical challenges, given the extreme conditions miles below the surface.
Teams from the United States, Canada and France using aeroplanes and ships have searched more than 25,000 sq km of open sea, roughly the size of Munster.
The 6.7m submersible vessel, operated by US-based OceanGate Expeditions, began its descent on Sunday morning. It lost contact with its parent surface vessel during what should have been a two-hour dive to the Titanic.
The submersible had 96 hours of air, according to the company’s specifications, which would mean the oxygen could run out by Thursday morning. But experts say the air supply depends on a range of factors, including whether the submersible remains intact and still has power.
[ Missing Titanic sub: Why are undersea rescues so difficult? ]
The wreck of the British ocean liner, which sank when it hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage in 1912, lies on the seabed at a depth of about 3,800m. It is about 1,450km east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and 640km south of St John’s, Newfoundland.
Those aboard the Titan, the highlight of a tourist adventure that costs $250,000 per person, included British billionaire and adventurer Hamish Harding (58), and Pakistani-born businessman Shahzada Dawood (48), with his 19-year-old son Suleman, who are British citizens.
French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet (77), and Stockton Rush, founder and chief executive of OceanGate Expeditions, were also reported to be on board.
Safety concerns
Questions about the safety of the Titan were raised in a 2018 lawsuit filed by OceanGate’s former director of marine operations, David Lochridge, who said he was fired for voicing concerns that the hull could not withstand extreme depths.
In its own court claim against Mr Lochridge, OceanGate said he refused to accept the lead engineer’s assurances and accused him of improperly sharing confidential information. The two sides settled the case in November 2018.
Months before the suit, a group of submersible industry leaders wrote to OceanGate warning that the “experimental” approach” to the sub’s development could result in “minor to catastrophic” problems, the New York Times reported.
Aaron Newman, a former Titan passenger, told NBC on Wednesday that he felt safe during his dive. “Obviously, this is the type of exploration that’s doing things – this is not a Disney ride,” he said. “We’re going places that very few people have been.”
If the Titan managed to return to the surface, it could still be difficult to spot it in the open water, experts said. The submersible is sealed shut with bolts from the outside, making it impossible for those inside to escape without assistance.
If the Titan is on the ocean floor, a rescue effort would be even more challenging because of the large pressure and total darkness at a depth of more than 3km.
Titanic expert Tim Maltin said it would be “almost impossible to effect a sub-to-sub rescue” on the seabed.
Carl Hartsfield, from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, told reporters that the noises are being analysed by “the best people in the world”.
He said: “The ocean is a very complex place, obviously human sounds, nature sounds, and it’s very difficult to discern what the sources of those noises are at times, but I can tell you that this team has multiple sensors that are in the area, they’re sending data back expeditiously to the best people in the world to analyse that data and they’re feeding the results of the analysis back to the unified team and they’re making decisions.
“There have been multiple reports of noises and every one of those noises is being analysed, tracked, looked for patterns and reported upon.”
Mr Hartsfield said that the noises have been described as “banging noises”.
In a statement on their website, deep water specialists Magellan said they were contacted by OceanGate on Monday and “immediately” offered knowledge of the site and expertise in operating at depth.
The company said that it has been working with UK and US agencies to move its specialist equipment and support crew to St John’s, Newfoundland, following instructions to mobilise from OceanGate. – Reuters/PA