The rescuers searching for the missing OceanGate Expeditions sub with five people on board have heard underwater “banging” noises in the search area, some “cause for hope” with limited time left to find the sub that explores the Titanic wreck site.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy on Wednesday was reportedly sending salvage equipment to the North Atlantic Ocean to lift the 20,000-pound sub if it’s found. The Navy’s Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System can lift up to 60,000 pounds.
The U.S. Coast Guard out of Boston and partner agencies have been desperately searching for the missing 21-foot submersible research vessel.
The sub on Sunday morning lost contact during a dive, about 900 miles east of Cape Cod. Thursday is when the 96-hour oxygen supply is expected to end for the five people on board.
Early Wednesday morning, the Coast Guard shared that some underwater noises have been heard in the remote area of the North Atlantic Ocean.
“Yesterday, the Canadian P-3 (aircraft) detected underwater noises in the search area,” Capt. Jamie Frederick, the First Coast Guard District response coordinator, said during a Wednesday afternoon press conference in Boston.
“As a result, ROV (remotely operated vehicle underwater) operations were relocated in an attempt to explore the origin of the noises,” he added. “Although the ROV searches have yielded negative results, they continue.”
Also, the data from the P-3 aircraft has been shared with U.S. Navy experts for further analysis — which will be considered in future search plans, Frederick said.
The underwater noises could be people on board knocking on the sub to communicate with rescuers, according to experts.
“The noises have been described as banging noises,” said Carl Hartsfield, of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Frederick was asked at the press conference about the noises.
“We don’t know what they are, to be frank with you,” he told reporters about the noises.
“The good news is, what I can tell you, is we’re searching in the area where the noises were detected and we’ll continue to do so,” Frederick said.
A total of 10,000 square miles have been searched in favorable weather conditions. That’s larger than the state of Connecticut.
“Updated weather on scene: winds at 23mph with gusts up to 30mph,” the Coast Guard tweeted. “Sea state is 6-7ft swells with an air temp of 50°f.”
The Titan sub was launched at 8 a.m. on Sunday, and was expected to resurface at 3 p.m. But an hour and 45 minutes into their dive, they lost contact with the Canadian research vessel Polar Prince.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the crew of the Titan and their loved ones,” Frederick said. “We will continue to work as hard and as quickly as possible in an effort to locate them.”
“We have to remain optimistic and hopeful when you’re in a search and rescue case,” he later added.
British adventurer Hamish Harding, a founding member of the board of trustees of The Explorers Club, is one of the five people on the sub.
The president of The Explorers Club, Richard Garriott de Cayeux, wrote Tuesday night, “There is cause for hope, based on data from the field — we understand that likely signs of life have been detected at the site.”
Herald wire services were used in this report.
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