Missing Titanic Sub Search Team Expand Search Area as Oxygen Fears Mount

The search area for the missing submarine in the quest to see the Titanic wreck site has been doubled by rescuers.

Additional boats and underwater vehicles are being deployed as the search enters a critical phase.

The sub is estimated to have only a few hours of oxygen remaining, potentially running out by around 10:00 GMT (06:00 EDT) on Thursday.

The duration of the remaining oxygen supply depends on various factors, as experts have explained.

Sonar buoys, dropped from aircraft or ships, detected more sounds for a second consecutive day, according to the US Coast Guard.

During a press conference in Boston, Capt Jamie Frederick reported that underwater noises were picked up by a Canadian search plane on Tuesday and Wednesday.

As a result, the search team redirected its focus to the area where the noises were detected.
The nature of the noises remains unknown, and the US navy is assisting in their analysis, while underwater searches of the identified area have not produced any findings yet.

With the arrival of additional boats and underwater vehicles, search operations will also resume in the original search area. The overall sea area being scoured is approximately 26,000 sq km (10,000 sq miles), twice the size of Connecticut.

Capt Frederick expressed hope, stating that it is a 100% search and rescue operation.

Currently, five surface vessels are involved in the search, with five more heading to the area.
Moreover, several additional remotely-operated vehicles (ROVs) will join the two already searching underwater on Thursday morning.

The search will continue in the area where the noises were detected, and additional ROVs will be deployed in the original search area.

The French vessel L’Atalante is en route to assist in the search efforts, equipped with a robot capable of reaching a depth of 3,800m (12,500ft) and the ability to lift the Titan sub to the surface.

Rear Admiral John Mauger of the US Coast Guard earlier mentioned that the sub likely carries an emergency life-support system for oxygen supply, which is depleting.

The rate of oxygen consumption per occupant on the sub remains uncertain, making it challenging to predict the remaining oxygen supply, he told the BBC.

The missing submersible carries British businessman Hamish Harding, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman, former French navy diver Paul-Henry Nargeolet, and Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate, which operates the submersible.

Oisin Fanning, who has experience in deep-sea voyages to the Titanic wreck and knows some of the missing submersible’s occupants, explained that the crew would know how to optimize their oxygen supply.

Mr Fanning stated that the crew would have undergone rigorous training and would immediately prioritize oxygen conservation.

Dr Ken LeDez, a hyperbaric medicine expert, mentioned that the crew might survive even as oxygen supplies dwindle, depending on their fitness and the submersible’s conditions.

While the exact conditions inside are unknown, Dr LeDez stated that the crew would likely face increasing carbon dioxide levels and cold temperatures alongside declining oxygen levels.

These factors could lead to hypothermia and loss of consciousness, but they are not necessarily fatal. The crew’s metabolism slowing down due to the cold could help them survive longer.

Dr LeDez expressed confidence in the crew’s abilities, stating that if anyone could survive in those conditions, it would be these individuals.