Search for missing Titan submarine en route to Titanic wreck intensifies

International teams are intensifying efforts to locate OceanGate‘s missing Titan submarine, which lost contact on June 18 while transporting five tourists to visit the Titanic shipwreck in the North Atlantic. Amid concerns over dwindling oxygen supplies thought to last only 96 hours, search teams are focusing on distant areas of the Atlantic where underwater sounds have been detected intermittently.

In their search, Canada‘s P-3 aircraft detected noises on June 20 and again on June 21. However, US Coast Guard Commander Jamie Frederick stated that the origins of the sounds are yet to be identified, and cautioned that they might not be coming from the Titan. In response, remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) have been deployed to examine the area where the noises were detected, reported KhaoSod.

Frederick also revealed that several ships and submarines have joined the search operation, with three vessels arriving at the scene on Wednesday. This includes ships equipped with side-scan sonar devices. The search area has since doubled in size, reaching the equivalent of Connecticut’s landmass, and approximately 4 kilometres deep.

Retired naval officer and former submarine captain David Marquette told CNN that passengers on the Titan are likely experiencing extreme cold and discomfort due to surrounding water temperatures. The environment poses a significant challenge for all five individuals, as the water would be at a freezing point or slightly below. This would cause breaths to be laboured, and frost to form within the vessel.

Marquette explained that the passengers must try to retain body heat as oxygen levels gradually decrease, and carbon dioxide levels increase due to their exhalation. He urged them to remain calm and conserve energy for as long as possible to give rescue teams time to locate them. Although difficult, Marquette has not yet ruled out the possibility of a successful rescue mission.