The world waits for news as the window for survival of the five passengers aboard the Titan sub is fast closing, with the US Coastguard estimating that the oxygen supply ran out at 7.08am (12.08pm UK time) today.
The announcement paints a bleak picture for those trapped inside the stranded vessel, but officials continue to insist that the hunt is ‘100 percent’ still a search and rescue operation.
The Titan, a tourist submarine that runs $250,000 tours of the Titanic wreck and is operated by OceanGate Expeditions, has been underwater since 8 a.m. Sunday with five people aboard.
The group, known as the Titan Five, includes British billionaire Hamish Harding, Oceangate CEO Stockton Rush, French Navy veteran PH Nargiolet and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleiman.
After making its descent to 12,500 feet, the sub lost contact with its expedition ship, the Polar Prince, at 9.45 am but was not reported missing to the Coast Guard until 5.40 pm.
A US Coast Guard spokesman said a ten-hour countdown had now begun, with the vital oxygen supply expected to run out at 7.08am US Eastern Time (11.08am GMT, 12.08pm UK, 9.08pm Sydney).
Hopes of finding the Titan are now fading, hours after those leading the rescue said they would ‘hope until the end’, but admitted they would need to ‘make tough decisions’ at some point.
The Titan, a tourist submersible that runs $250,000 tours of the Titanic wreck and is operated by Oceangate Expeditions, had been underwater since 8 a.m. Sunday with five people aboard.
Five people are on board, including British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding
Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleiman are also on board, along with British billionaire Hamish Harding.
Oceangate expedition CEO Stockton Rush (right) along with French Navy veteran PH Nargiolet (left) are believed to be taking part in the expedition.
Rescuers, including USCG, British Navy and French and Canadian teams, are moving quickly as the rescue window narrows.
They face a battle against time and with less than twelve hours of oxygen left on the ship, experts say the people inside will try to reduce their breathing to conserve the remaining supplies.
Rescuers are not giving up hope, U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Jamie Frederick insisted Wednesday, even as people around the world count the hours until the ship runs out of oxygen.
‘We have to be hopeful and optimistic when we are in search and rescue.
The 21ft submersible has an oxygen supply of up to 96 hours
The Victor 6000 is connected to the ship via an electromechanical cable that is 26,250 feet long and provides 20 kW of power.
The Victor 6000 is a French unmanned ROV deployed by the L’Atalante vessel and can reach depths of 20,000 feet.
Pilots of 14 Wing CP-140 Aurora maritime surveillance aircraft of the Royal Canadian Air Force fly a search pattern for the missing Oceangate submersible.
‘If we keep searching, maybe we’ll be at that point… and we’ll have a discussion with the family long before I discuss it publicly here.’
According to Titan’s operator Oceangate, the sub has a 96-hour oxygen supply in case of an emergency.
Search and rescue teams are racing against time as they scour an area where sounds were detected for the missing Titan sub, experts say, as they continue to analyze sounds heard as recently as this morning.
The only possible trace of the ship that continues to be investigated is the underwater ‘banging’ sound, which was detected yesterday in the search for the missing Titanic submersible.
But U.S. Navy experts analyzing the sounds said they still can’t conclude whether they’re coming from a stranded ship and that ROVs are returning negative results from the ocean floor.
With time running out, more equipment is expected to arrive Thursday morning, including more remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) that will continue to scan the ocean from above to detect sounds.
Non-governmental groups that offered their help in the rescue mission early on Monday were not authorized to help until Wednesday night, sources also told MailOnline.
Rescuers are now beginning a last-ditch effort to find the tiny vessel in a vast expanse of water, with a search area stretching to nearly 14,000 square miles — twice the size of the state of Connecticut.
Search timeline for the Ocean Gate submersible (British Summer Time), if the Titan loses its power, the crew will be in total darkness facing temperatures of 3C
Hopes of finding the sub are pinned on the Victor 6000, which was moved into the search area overnight and can reach a depth of 20,000 feet.
The Victor 6000 ROV Flyway Deep Ocean Salvage System, a specialist winch that was able to recover a helicopter from a depth of 19,075 feet in 2021, may be able to fix a cable on the sub before being brought to the surface by the Flyway Deep Ocean Salvage System.
Underwater vehicles 12,500 feet below the Titanic’s wreckage may be able to locate the Titan, but the mammoth task of retrieving it will require additional specialized equipment.
Hopes of a recovery rose slightly on Wednesday when a Canadian P-3 aircraft equipped with sonar detected periodic ‘banging’ sounds.
The Coast Guard chief coordinating the search said sounds were initially heard overnight and more were detected today.
The P-3 is one of several models of aircraft that scours the ocean surface and helps search using sonar equipment for signs of activity on the seabed.
A number of military and commercial vessels are also on site, offering a mix of search capabilities, communications equipment and rescue equipment should the Titan be found.
In the end, it’s up to the submersible to keep an eye on the Titan if it remains at the bottom of the ocean – or if it’s trapped in the wreckage of the Titanic.
Sean Litt, co-founder of Horizon Maritime Services, the company that owns Titan’s mothership Polar Prince, said on Wednesday that he had never seen advanced search ‘equipment in nature move so fast’.
The family of the missing Titan sub Tourist, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Sulaiman, gathered on the water Wednesday where the vessel was last seen.
A family source in Karachi, Pakistan, where Mr Dawood is from, released a new photo of the father and son to MailOnline and said: ‘I can tell you that Mrs Dawood and her daughter are and will remain in the search area at the moment. Stay there as long as they can.
Missing Sulaiman Dawood, 19, pictured with his mother Christine on board
Among those taking part in the campaign is billionaire Hamish Harding (pictured), CEO of Action Aviation in Dubai. She excitedly posted on social media about being there on Sunday
At a press conference at the US Coast Guard station in Boston – which is coordinating search and rescue efforts – First District Response Coordinator Capt. Jamie Frederick said it was not certain the sub could be saved.
‘Obviously it’s a very difficult time for the family and they’re not coping well at all, they’re drawing strength from each other and hoping and praying for the best.
‘The messages of support they are receiving from all over the world are also keeping them positive and they are grateful for everyone’s kind thoughts and wishes.’
‘It is not clear why Mr Dawood wanted to visit the Titanic with his son, but he is driven by a passion for exploration, and I understand it was something that had been planned for some time.’
In a heartbreaking plea today, Janik Mikkelsen, a close friend of Mr Harding’s, warned ‘we are running out of time’.
The Daudas belong to one of the most prominent families in Pakistan. Their eponymous company invests in agriculture, industry and health sectors across the country.
Shahzada’s wife Christine and daughter Alina and their families are awaiting news of the pair.
Among Titan’s passengers are British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding and Oceangate CEO and founder Stockton Rush.
In a heartbreaking plea today, Janik Mikkelsen, a close friend of Mr Harding’s, warned ‘we are running out of time’.
The terrified friend told BBC Radio 4’s Today program yesterday: ‘I’m nervous. I am sick to my stomach with nerves. I’m scared, I’m worried. I can’t sleep right now. I’m just hoping for good news. Every second, every minute feels like hours.’
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