The United States Coast Guard announced Thursday that an underwater craft has discovered a debris field near the Titanic in the hunt for a lost submersible carrying five people, a potential breakthrough in an increasingly desperate 24-hour endeavor.
The Coast Guard’s Twitter message provided no specifics, such as whether officials believe the debris is linked to the Titan, which was on an excursion to inspect the Titanic’s ruins.
Thursday, the search crossed the critical 96-hour mark, at which point breathing air might have ran out.
The Titan was believed to have a four-day supply of breathable air when it launched Sunday morning in the North Atlantic, but experts have stressed that this was an approximation to begin with and might be extended if passengers took efforts to save breathable air.
It’s unknown if they survived the sub’s disappearance.
Ships, aircraft, and other rescue equipment have been dispatched to the location of the disappearance.
The US Coast Guard announced on Thursday that an undersea robot deployed by a Canadian ship had arrived at the sea bottom, while a French research organization claimed a deep-diving robot with cameras, lights, and arms had also joined the operation.
Authorities are hopeful that underwater noises may aid in narrowing their search, which has been stretched to thousands of miles — twice the size of Connecticut — and in seas 2 1/2 miles (4 kilometers) deep.
Underwater noises were heard in the search area on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to Coast Guard personnel./AP
Missing Titanic Submersible | Live Updates: Latest on Search and 5 Occupants