US Coast Guard searches Atlantic for Titanic tourist sub as oxygen supply dwindles

Rescue crews are still hunting for a missing submersible that plunged into the North Atlantic Ocean to visit the wreck of the Titanic over the weekend, as oxygen supply for the five passengers has fallen to about 40 hours, the U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday.

Capt. Jamie Frederick with the Coast Guard’s 1st District said the search effort so far has “not yielded any results,” as crews search across a wide swath of challenging ocean water.

“This is a complex search, and it’s complex for a variety of reasons,” Frederick said. “Logistically speaking, it’s hard to bring assets to bear — it takes time, coordination.”

Frederick said they will deploy more boats and aircraft, and the Navy is also assisting with the search.

The Defense Department on Monday committed two C-130 aircraft for search and rescue flights over the area, with a third C-130 from the Air National Guard to join the search by the end of Tuesday, Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters Tuesday.

In addition, “the Navy has been in touch with the Coast Guard and is working to provide personnel such as subject matter experts and assets as quickly as possible.”

“I believe that we are doing everything we can in terms of surveying the area and that’s been the focus of the department right now,” she added.

The five-person submersible, part of a tourist expedition to visit the 1912 wreck of the Titanic, lost contact with a Canadian research ship about two hours after diving into the water Sunday.

Authorities reported the vessel as overdue Sunday night, setting off a frantic international rescue operation about 900 miles east of Cape Cod, Mass., in water depths of roughly 13,000 feet.

The submersible, called Titan, was built with carbon fiber and titanium. It had a 96-hour oxygen supply when it dove at 6 a.m. Sunday, meaning rescuers are racing against the clock to save the passengers.

Coast Guard officials said Tuesday that less than half of that oxygen is left.

“There’s about 40 hours of breathable air left based on that initial report,” Frederick said, calling it an “estimate.”

Those on board the vessel include a British billionaire, Hamish Harding, along with Pakistani nationals Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, and French explorer and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet.

Also on board is Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, the company that operates the submersible and conducts the Titanic touring experience, according to several media reports.

Coast Guard crews out of Boston are searching both on the surface and underwater with Canadian rescuers to find the 21-foot vessel. By Tuesday morning, at least 10,000 square miles had already been searched.

Rescue personnel have deployed sonar buoys and a P8 Poseidon aircraft capable of detecting objects underwater to find the sub, along with large ships. The U.S. has also flown Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft overhead.

OceanGate is a privately owned company founded in 2009 conducting deep sea explorations.

The Titanic viewing experience is also a research expedition and successful dives were completed in 2021 and 2022, according to the company.

Ellen Mitchell and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Updated at 4:04 p.m.