Titanic Submersible Search Intensifies After Rescuers Hear Haunting Underwater Sounds
Hope flared slightly Wednesday morning in the race against time for the missing submersible Titan, which has not been heard from since Sunday.
The oxygen supply on the submersible is estimated to run out Thursday.
Noises from beneath the grim Atlantic Ocean were heard in the area that is being searched, but so far, there has been no sign of the OceanGate vessel, which has five passengers aboard.
“Canadian P-3 aircraft detected underwater noises in the search area. As a result, ROV operations were relocated in an attempt to explore the origin of the noises,” the First Coast Guard District said in a Twitter post early Wednesday. ROV is the acronym for “remotely operated vehicle.”
“Those ROV searches have yielded negative results but continue. Additionally, the data from the P-3 aircraft has been shared with our U.S. Navy experts for further analysis which will be considered in future search plans,” the Coast Guard posted.
Additionally, the data from the P-3 aircraft has been shared with our U.S. Navy experts for further analysis which will be considered in future search plans. 2/2 #Titanic
— USCGNortheast (@USCGNortheast) June 21, 2023
The noises were reported as “banging” in 30-minute intervals, according to internal Department of Homeland Security e-mails sent to leadership, Rolling Stone and the U.K.’s Independent reported.
“RCC Halifax launched a P8, Poseidon, which has underwater detection capabilities from the air,” an email said, according to the reports.
“The P8 deployed sonobuoys, which reported a contact in a position close to the distress position. The P8 heard banging sounds in the area every 30 minutes. Four hours later additional sonar was deployed and banging was still heard,” it said.
In follow-up tweet Wednesday morning, the First Coast Guard District said, “Three vessels arrived on-scene Wednesday morning, the The John Cabot has side scanning sonar capabilities and is conducting search patterns alongside the Skandi Vinland and the Atlantic Merlin.”
Three vessels arrived on-scene Wednesday morning, the The John Cabot has side scanning sonar capabilities and is conducting search patterns alongside the Skandi Vinland and the Atlantic Merlin. #Titanic
— USCGNortheast (@USCGNortheast) June 21, 2023
The last contact with the submersible was about 1 hour and 45 minutes after it began its descent to explore the wreck of the Titanic.
Coast Guard Rear Adm. John Mauger said there are multiple metal objects at the site of the Titanic wreck.
He called the noises noted by the Canadian aircraft a “target, it’s a focus for us to look at,” according to the U.K.’s Mirror.
Mauger said the search will go on “as long as there’s an opportunity for survival.”
Titanic sub search chief US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger: “As long as there’s opportunity for survival… we’ll continue to look” https://t.co/nLywWTjGL8
— LBC News (@LBCNews) June 21, 2023
Teams from the United States, Canada and France are searching an area that is slightly larger than the state of Connecticut, according to Reuters.
A report in The New York Times Wednesday noted that conditions are not ideal.
“Gusty winds over 25 miles per hour and wave heights up to nine feet are possible in the search area on Wednesday, as a storm system moves through the North Atlantic,” the report said, noting that conditions are not expected to improve until Thursday.
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