The search operation for the missing submersible heading towards the Titanic wreck site has taken a promising turn as Canadian aircraft assisting in the mission reported intermittent 'banging' noises from the area of the last known contact. The US Coast Guard, in its early Wednesday update, confirmed these findings, which are detailed in internal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) emails acquired by Rolling Stone.
The DHS emails, however, do not clarify when the Canadian maritime patrol aircraft first picked up these sounds. A related email from the Explorers Club - an organization counting one of the missing submersible passengers among its members - suggested the 'tapping sounds' were first heard around 2 a.m. local time. This discovery has raised hopes that the crew might still be alive and signaling for help.
According to the DHS updates, "RCC Halifax launched a P8, Poseidon, which has underwater detection capabilities from the air," and deployed sonobuoys near the distress area. These buoys detected banging noises every half hour. Even after four additional hours of sonar deployment, the sounds persisted.
These findings were also echoed by the US Coast Guard, which acknowledged the detection of 'underwater noises' by a Canadian P-3 aircraft, although the exact timeline remains unclear. Prompted by these findings, a remotely-operated underwater vehicle was redirected towards the area of interest. However, the initial search did not yield any results.
The Coast Guard stated on Twitter, "The data from the P-3 aircraft has been shared with our U.S. Navy experts for further analysis which will be considered in future search plans."
Richard Garriott, President of the Explorers Club, released an optimistic statement on Tuesday night. He expressed that the newfound evidence brings about "much greater confidence" in finding the lost vessel. "There is cause for hope, based on data from the field - we understand that likely signs of life have been detected at the site," Garriott announced.
No immediate responses were received from the DHS or the Coast Guard to requests for comments.
Rescue teams are certain that the sounds emanated from the Newfoundland waters area, where the Titan, carrying a five-person crew, went missing on Sunday. The submersible's passengers include OceanGate Expeditions' CEO Stockton Rush, Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British magnate Hamish Harding, and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood along with his son.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Coast Guard approximated only 41 hours of breathable oxygen remaining for the crew. If successful, this rescue mission will be considered the deepest ever.