Banging sounds heard near missing Titanic submersible as rescuers battle against time

A memo said it was unclear exactly when the banging was heard on Tuesday, June 20, and for how long

Updated on: Jun 21, 2023, 10:24:19 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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Sonar reportedly picked up banging sounds from underneath the water as a search was underway for a missing submersible. The vessel carrying five people went missing in the North Atlantic Ocean. United States and Canadian authorities are on the lookout for the submersible and the people who were in it, on a journey to see the remains of the Titanic at the bottom of the ocean. The missing Titan submersible is owned by the company OceanGate.

The submersible carrying five people went missing in the North Atlantic Ocean (OceanGate screenshot via CBS News)

A memo obtained by CNN said it was unclear exactly when the banging was heard on Tuesday, June 20, and for how long. More sounds were later heard, but they were not described as “banging.” “Additional acoustic feedback was heard and will assist in vectoring surface assets and also indicating continued hope of survivors,” an update reads. It has also been reported that a white rectangular object was spotted in the water by a Canadian P3 aircraft.

This update comes as passengers onboard the Titan submersible now have less than two days to go until their oxygen exhausts. At a recent press conference, United States Coast Guard Captain Jamie Frederick said the search operation has “not yielded any results.” “There's about 40 hours of breathable air left, based on that initial report,” Jamie said.

The submersible began its journey on Sunday morning, June 18. About one hour and 45 minutes into its descent, the vessel lost contact with the Polar Prince, the support ship that transported it to the site. The passengers aboard the submersible have been identified as OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, French diver Paul Henry Nargeolet, and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman.

The Titan reportedly sends a ping to the Polar Prince every 15 minutes. The last ping was received while the vessel floated above the Titanic wreckage at about 3 pm local time.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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