‘Debris field’ found in search for missing Titanic submarine, US says

A deep-sea robot found a “debris field” while searching the submarine who disappeared while transporting five people to the wreckage of the Titanic, the US Coast Guard. said thursday. Experts were evaluating the discovery by the ROV, or remotely operated vehicle.

“An ROV discovered a debris field within the search area near the Titanic,” authorities said.

The Coast Guard said Thursday morning that a robot from a Canadian ship had reached the bottom of the sea near the Titanic to search for the submarine. The officials were expected to discuss the findings during a news conference on Thursday afternoon.

Another robot from a French ship was also thrown into the water Thursday amid a massive international search effort for the missing 21-foot submarine.

In addition to the underwater robots, search planes and ships have been deployed in the North Atlantic Ocean in hopes of finding the sub some 900 nautical miles off Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The Coast Guard said Wednesday that the search area was about twice the size of Connecticut.

The submarine was launched into the Atlantic from a Canadian research vessel on Sunday morning, and the ship lost contact with the Titan one hour and 45 minutes after the dive.

Authorities previously said the submarine had a limited amount of oxygen on board that could have lasted 96 hours, or roughly until Thursday morning.

On Wednesday, Coast Guard Capt. Jamie Frederick said the amount of oxygen remaining was “a dialogue that’s going on,” but not the only detail being considered to continue the search.

The co-founder of the company that owns the submarine, OceanGate, said Thursday was “a critical day” in the search. in a statement on facebookGuillermo Sohnlein said the group could have expanded their life support supplies by “relaxing as much as possible.”

“I strongly believe that the window of time available for rescue is longer than most people realize,” Sohnlein said.

How to view the missing Titanic submarine search summary

• That: US Coast Guard officials conduct a briefing on the search for a submarine that went missing while carrying five people to the wreckage of the Titanic
• Date: Thursday, June 22, 2023
• Time: 3 p.m. Eastern Time
• Location: Boston Coast Guard Base
• online streaming: Live in CBS News in the player above and in your mobile or streaming device.

Note: streaming plans are subject to change.