In what seems to be a glimmer of hope in a rather grim scenario, “likely signs of life have been detected” from where the OceanGate Expedition’s Titan submersible disappeared.
A Canadian aircraft reportedly picked up “banging” sounds every 30 minutes, a development first reported by the American publication Rolling Stone and later confirmed by the US Coast Guards.
“Canadian P-3 aircraft detected underwater noises in the search area. As a result, ROV (remotely operated vehicle) operations were relocated to explore the origin of the noises,” stated the military branch on its official Twitter page. Though the subsequent ROV searches have not yielded positive results yet, they continue, and the data has been shared with US Navy experts for further analysis to inform future search plans.
The US publication obtained information regarding internal e-mail updates sent to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leadership. “RCC Halifax launched a P8, Poseidon, which has underwater detection capabilities from the air,” the e-mails read. “The P8 deployed sonobuoys, which reported contact in a position close to the distress position. The P8 heard banging sounds in the area every 30 minutes. Another sonar was deployed four hours later, and banging was still heard.”
Read: Search for Missing Submarine Carrying Titanic Tourists Intensifies
The e-mail, however, did not specify when the banging was detected or what might have caused it. This information comes as multiple agencies and governments ramp up their efforts to locate the divers, who now have less than 30 hours of oxygen left.
Hope Amidst Despair
Richard Garriot de Cayeux, President of The Explorers Club, expressed cautious optimism in a social media post on Tuesday night. “We have much greater confidence that 1) There is cause for hope, based on data from the field – we understand that likely signs of life have been detected at the site.”
The Titan submersible, a 21-foot (6.5-meter) vessel, was carrying three fee-paying passengers when it disappeared on Sunday. These included British billionaire Hamish Harding, Pakistani tycoon Shahzada Dawood, and Dawood´s son Suleman. OceanGate Expeditions, responsible for the Titan’s trips, charges $250,000 for a seat.
Complex Search Efforts Underway
US Coast Guard Captain Jamie Frederick acknowledged the complexity of the search during a press conference on Tuesday. He noted that while the US Coast Guard coordinated the search, the operation was far beyond what the coast guard typically handles. “This is a complex search effort, which requires multiple agencies with subject matter expertise and specialized equipment,” he said.
The ongoing search efforts involve both surface and subsurface strategies. The rescuers are combing the vast area for the missing Titan, which lost contact with its mothership two hours into its dive near the Titanic’s final resting place. “The search efforts have focused on both surface with C-130 aircraft searching by sight and with radar and subsurface with P3 aircraft, we’re able to drop and monitor sonar buoys,” Frederick explained.
