Search for missing Titanic sub produces noise for second day, US Coast Guard says

Crews in search of a submarine that disappeared while taking five people The wreckage of the Titanic was still hearing noises on Wednesday and was “actively searching” the area, the US Coast Guard said.

Overnight, the agency said a Canadian search plane noises detected underwater in the search area on Tuesday and crews focused on finding the source of the sounds. Coast Guard Capt. Jamie Frederick said a plane also heard the noises Wednesday morning.

“Regarding the noises, specifically, we don’t know what they are, to be frank,” Frederick said at a briefing on Wednesday. “…We are searching the area where the noises were detected.”

He said the team has two ROVs, remotely-operated underwater vehicles, “actively searching”, and several more are on the way and are expected to join the search operation on Thursday.

Search flights were scheduled to continue throughout the day and into the night, Frederick said.

Carl Hartsfield, of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, said the noises have been described as thumping, but he also said it was difficult to discern the source of the noises underwater.

“They have to put the whole picture in context and they have to eliminate possible man-made sources other than the Titan,” Hartsfield said, referring to the sub’s name. “…The team is looking in the right area, so if you continue to do the analysis, look for different patterns and look in the right area, you’re doing the best you can with the best people on the case.”

The disappearance of the submarine on Sunday has sparked a mass response from the US and Canada as search teams race to find the missing group in the North Atlantic Ocean. Five boats were searching the water’s surface for the submarine as of Wednesday afternoon, and that number was expected to double to 10 in 24 to 48 hours, Frederick said.

A Canadian research vessel contact lost with the 21-foot one-hour, 45-minute sub on its Sunday morning dive about 900 nautical miles off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. She was expected to resurface on Sunday afternoon.

The size of the search area has expanded to about twice the size of Connecticut, with underwater depths down to 2 1/2 miles, Frederick said.

Frederick continued to express optimism about the search on its third full day.

“When you’re in the middle of a search and rescue case, you always have hope,” he said. “That’s why we’re doing what we’re doing.”

Frederick said Tuesday that the submarine could have about 40 hours of breathable air remaining but declined to provide a new estimate at Wednesday’s briefing, saying the remaining oxygen was “a dialogue going on” but not the only detail being considered.

“This is a 100% search and rescue mission,” he said. “We are right in the middle of search and rescue, and we will continue to put all the available assets we have into an effort to find the Titan and the crew members.”

Frederick acknowledged that sometimes search-and-rescue missions are unsuccessful and officials have to make “a tough decision” about continuing efforts.

“We’re not there yet,” he said. “But if we keep looking, we could potentially be at that point, but then again, we’re not there yet.”