Debris Field Found In Submersible Search Area – As experts examine underwater recordings of noises in the North Atlantic Ocean where a submersible with five people aboard went missing Sunday, the search for the vessel grew Wednesday. With oxygen supplies on board likely dwindling, time has become the biggest concern for rescuers.
The vessel was carrying a pilot, three wealthy adventurers and the submersible company’s CEO when it vanished Sunday morning about an hour and 45 minutes into its trek 12,500 feet deep, where the wreckage of the Titanic rests. The sub’s 96-hour emergency air supply could run out soon, setting up Thursday morning as an important search target.
It remains unclear whether the noises were heard Tuesday night and Wednesday morning were from the missing submersible, US Coast Guard Capt. Jamie Frederick said at a midday news conference. The banging on Tuesday first came every 30 minutes and was heard again four hours later, according to an internal government memo update on the search obtained by CNN.
Rolling Stone was first to report news of the banging.
“I can’t tell you what the noises are,” Frederick said, but he stressed that the operation was still a “search and rescue mission, 100%.”
If the craft is in the deep ocean, staying warm and lucid are the biggest struggles the five passengers of the Titan submersible may be facing now.
“They’re freezing cold. The water entirely surrounding the ship is at freezing or slightly below,” retired Navy Capt. David Marquet told CNN. “When they exhale, their breath condenses. There’s frost on the inside of the parts of the submarine. They’re all huddled together trying to conserve their body heat. They’re running low on oxygen and they’re exhaling carbon dioxide.”
US Coast Guard will discuss “findings” on the sea floor near the Titanic later today
A US Coast Guard briefing at 3 p.m. ET will focus on the findings from a remotely operated vehicle “on the sea floor near the Titanic,” according to news release from the Coast Guard.
Moments ago, the Coast Guard announced a debris field was discovered in the Titanic submersible search area, and authorities are “evaluating the information.”
Here’s who will be a part of the briefing later today:
Rear Adm. John Mauger, the First Coast Guard District commander
Capt. Jamie Frederick, the First Coast Guard District response coordinator
The briefing will be held at the Coast Guard Base in Boston.
US Coast Guard says debris field has been discovered within the Titanic submersible search area
From CNN’s Kristina Sgueglia
The US Coast Guard says a debris field was discovered by a remotely operated vehicle near the Titanic submersible search area, and authorities are “evaluating the information,” officials tweeted Thursday.
It is unclear if this debris field is connected to the missing submersible.
The US Coast Guard also has announced a press briefing at 3 p.m. ET.
A debris field was discovered within the search area by an ROV near the Titanic. Experts within the unified command are evaluating the information. 1/2
OceanGate co-founder says time remaining to rescue passengers is longer than “what most people think”
From CNN’s Gabe Cohen and Kristina Sgueglia
While life support supplies are now believed to be running low, a co-founder of the company that operates the missing Titanic submersible says he believes the crew’s expertise will extend the “window available” for rescue.
Guillermo Söhnlein made the comments in a statement to CNN. He specified her was speaking on behalf of himself and not the company, OceanGate.
He said OceanGate CEO and co-founder Stockton Rush — who is aboard the sub — and the rest of the crew would have “realized days ago that the best thing they can do to ensure their rescue is to extend the limits of those supplies by relaxing as much as possible.”
Based on the crew members’ expertise, the “window available” for rescue is longer than “what most people think,” Söhnlein said.
Thursday will be a “critical day in this search and rescue mission,” he added.
“I continue to hold out hope for my friend and the rest of the crew,” Söhnlein said. “I would encourage everyone to remain hopeful for getting the crew back safely.”
Time is of the essence: The amount of oxygen on the missing submersible, which has five people on board, is becoming a vital issue, experts have told CNN.
The Titan sub, which begins each trip to explore the wreckage of the Titanic with an estimated 96 hours of life support, has been missing since Sunday morning, setting up Thursday morning as a key target for finding the vessel and those on board.
The 21-foot submersible, with its rudimentary controls and no room for passengers to stretch out, would also have “limited rations” of food and water, according to officials.
A fellow adventurer and retired Navy captain interviewed by CNN have also said the crew would know to conserve oxygen by resting and remaining as calm as possible.
CNN’s Nouran Salahieh contributed to this report.
Medical team arrives on the scene of the Titanic submersible rescue effort, Canadian official says
From CNN’s Paula Newton
A Canadian Navy ship carrying a medical team specializing in dive medicine and a hyperbaric recompression chamber that can hold as many as six people has arrived on scene in the Titanic submersible rescue effort, according to an official from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Halifax of the Canadian Armed Forces.
The medical team and the hyperbaric chamber traveled on the HMCS Glace Bay, which arrived on scene just after 9 a.m. local time Thursday morning, said Lt. Cmdr. Len Hickey, senior public affairs officer, said in a statement.
“JRCC Halifax continues to assist MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) Boston in support of submarine search efforts,” Hickey said. Additionally, three Canadian Coast Guard Ships — John Cabot, Ann Harvey and Terry Fox — are on scene and can provided equipment and personnel if needed, he added.
Teenager trapped on missing sub is university student in Glasgow
From CNN’s Sharon Braithwaite in London
Suleman Dawood, left, and Shahzada Dawood are seen in this undated handout photo. Courtesy of Engro Corporation Limited/Reuters
Pakistani teenager Suleman Dawood who is among five people trapped in the missing Titan submersible is a student at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.
The university confirmed to CNN on Thursday that Suleman is a Strathclyde Business School student and has just completed his first year.
“We are deeply concerned about Suleman, his father and the others involved in this incident. Our thoughts are with their families and loved ones and we continue to hope for a positive outcome,” a spokesperson for the University of Strathclyde said.
Search teams are racing to find the sub before oxygen runs out. Here’s what you need to know
A screengrab from a Canadian Armed Forces Operations video released June 21 shows search efforts for the OceanGate Titan submersible. Canadian Armed Forces
The search for the missing Titan submersible is now in a critical stage, as rescue teams race to locate the vessel before oxygen supplies run out.
The submersible begins each trip with 96 hours of life support and has been missing since Sunday, setting up Thursday morning as a key target for finding the vessel and those on board. Officials fear the craft’s oxygen supply could run out this morning.
Medical personnel and search vessels with extra capabilities headed to the scene on Thursday, with time running out.
If you’re just reading in now, here’s the latest news this morning:
“New capabilities” in search: New, high-tech vessels and medical personnel are moving to the search site as rescue efforts reach a pivotal moment, a Coast Guard official has said. That includes a Magellan ROV, a uniquely equipped vessel whose use was pushed for by the Explorers Club group early on in the search.
Search vehicle reaches sea floor: A remote operated vehicle “has reached the sea floor” and has begun searching for the missing Titanic submersible early Thursday morning, according to the US Coast Guard. It added that “The French vessel L’Atalante is preparing their ROV to enter the water.”
Concern over low-tech features: A former OceanGate subcontractor who worked on the development of the Titan submersible said while the game controllerto operate the vessel may seem low-tech, it was actually by design. OceanGate tried to use as many “off-the-shelf” items as possible to cut down on research and development as well as costs, Doug Virnig told CNN Wednesday.
How the sub went missing: The vessel, operated by OceanGate Expeditions, began its two-hour descent to the wreck of the Titanic on Sunday morning. (See how deep the wreckage is here.) It lost contact with the Polar Prince, the support ship that transported the craft to the location in the North Atlantic, 1 hour and 45 minutes into its descent, officials said. Search operations began later that day. It’s still not clear what happened to the submersible, why it lost contact, and how close it was to the Titanic when it went missing.
What we know about the noises: Banging noises were identified by Canadian aircraft on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Remotely operated vehicle (ROV) equipment was relocated to where the noises were detected, according toCapt. Jamie Frederick, the response coordinator for the First Coast Guard District. But searches in the area “yielded negative results,” he said. Data from the plane that identified the noises was sent to the US Navy, but has so far been inconclusive, Frederick said, adding that the Coast Guard does not know what the sounds were.
What it could be like onboard: Officials believe the five people on board have “limited rations” of food and water. Ret. Navy Capt. David Marquet, a former submarine captain, told CNN the near-freezing water at that depth is probably making the situation very uncomfortable. “There’s frost on the inside of the parts of the submarine. They’re all huddled together trying to conserve their body heat. They’re running low on oxygen and they’re exhaling carbon dioxide,” he said.
