London:
- US Coast Guard, Canadian military planes, French vessels, and teleguided robots are part of the multinational operation to find the submersible that went missing on Sunday when it was headed to the wreck of the Titanic.
- According to the US Coast Guard, the people on the submersible have less than 12 hours’ worth of oxygen remaining, which has resulted in the rescuers working round the clock. The Titan was designed to have an oxygen supply of as much as 96 hours in case of an emergency.
- The crew of the Titan is believed to have limited rations on board.
- Among the five people aboard the missing vessel are British billionaire Hamish Harding, Pakistani tycoon Shahzada Dawood, and his son.
- A Canadian plane with sonar capabilities looking for the Titan vessel picked up sounds on Wednesday, and remotely operated vehicles were moved to the area where the noises originated.
- The sounds raised hopes that the passengers on the small tourist craft are still alive though experts have not been able to confirm their source.
- “When you’re in the middle of a search-and-rescue case, you always have hope. With respect to the noises specifically, we don’t know what they are, to be frank with you,” says Coast Guard Captain Jamie Frederick.
- “Sometimes you’re in a position where you have to make a tough decision. We’re not there yet,” Captain Frederick said, adding that it remained a search-and-rescue mission “100 percent.”
- The operation of the missing submersible and its rescue operation’s race against time has been riveting onlookers. People have been glued to their television screens, fascinated by maritime experts detailing the hurdles for rescue efforts in a vast expanse of sea.
- Experts had raised safety concerns about the submersible vessel in 2018, expressing concern that OceanGate opted against certifying the Titan through third parties such as the American Bureau of Shipping, a leading classifier of submersibles.
