That doesn't sound good.
Debris Field
Update: OceanGate has announced that it believes the crew of five "have sadly been lost."
According to the US Coast Guard, an underwater vessel has located a "debris field" within the search area during its hunt for the OceanGate submarine that went missing on Sunday.
"A debris field was discovered within the search area by an ROV near the Titanic," the Coast Guard wrote on Twitter. "Experts within the unified command are evaluating the information."
While we still don't know for sure if these pieces of debris belong to the missing submersible, it's not exactly a promising sign.
David Mearns, who is friends with two of the passengers on board Titan, told Sky News that the debris "was a landing frame and a rear cover from the submersible," suggesting the Titan broke apart.
"It means the hull hasn't yet been found but two very important parts of the whole system have been discovered and that would not be found unless it's fragmented," he added.
Rescue officials, however, have yet to comment on Mearns' theory.
Either way, the lost vessel dubbed the Titan has already passed the 96-hour mark, as the Associated Press reports, suggesting the crew of five on board is already running out of breathable air — if there are even any survivors left.
A debris field was discovered within the search area by an ROV near the Titanic. Experts within the unified command are evaluating the information. 1/2
— USCGNortheast (@USCGNortheast) June 22, 2023
Mysterious Sounds
An international rescue mission hasn't had much luck beyond some mysterious "banging" noises, which experts say may have had natural causes.
As of Wednesday afternoon, rescuers narrowed their search to an area twice the size of Connecticut and up to 2.5 miles deep.
Worse yet, even if the crew are still alive and found, rescuers will have to loosen over a dozen deadbolts from the outside to free them.
"The lack of oxygen is key now; even if they find it, they still need to get to the surface and unbolt it," Jamie Pringle, an expert in Forensic Geosciences at Keele University, in England, told the AP.
Rescuers have plenty of challenges to deal with, from extremely deep waters to a complete lack of light.
"It’s just a needle in a haystack situation unless you’ve got a pretty precise location," Rob Larter, a marine geophysicist with the British Antarctic Survey, told the AP.
This is a developing story. We'll give updates on the situation as we learn more.
Updated with comment from David Mearns.
More on the submarine: CEO Who Said Safety Is a “Waste” on Board Lost Submarine
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