June 20, 2023 Missing Titanic sub search news | CNN
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June 20, 2023 Missing Titanic sub search news

Helen Regan Jessie Yeung Lauren Said-Moorhouse Elise Hammond Amir Vera
By Helen Regan, Jessie Yeung, Adam Renton, Lauren Said-Moorhouse, Ed Upright, Mike Hayes, Elise Hammond, Tori B. Powell and Amir Vera, CNN
Updated 12:01 AM EDT, Wed June 21, 2023
One of the individuals on the missing sub to the Titanic posted photos of it on Sunday before its launch. The photos were posted on a dive participant's business Instagram page. They show the sub sitting in a cradle-like flotation device in the Atlantic Ocean.
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See last images of submersible crew before descent to Titanic wreckage
01:43 - Source: CNN

What we covered here

  • Banging sounds were heard Tuesday during the search for the missing Titan submersible, indicating “continued hope of survivors,” according to an internal government memo.
  • A massive search operation is underway to find the vessel with five people on board that went missing Sunday on a trip to view the wreckage of the Titanic.
  • It’s a race against time as the US Coast Guard said the vessel had “about 40 hours of breathable air left” during an update at 1 p.m. ET Tuesday.
  • Aboard are a British adventurer, a French diver, a Pakistani father and son and the founder of the company that operates the tour, according to social media posts, a family statement and sources.
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Banging sounds heard during Titan search Tuesday, according to internal government memo

From CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez

Crews searching for the Titan submersible heard banging sounds every 30 minutes Tuesday, according to an internal government memo update on the search.

Four hours later, after additional sonar devices were deployed, banging was still heard, the memo said. It was unclear when the banging was heard Tuesday or for how long, based on the memo.

A subsequent update sent Tuesday night suggested more sounds were heard, though it was not described as “banging.”

A Canadian P3 aircraft also located a white rectangular object in the water, according to that update, but another ship set to investigate was diverted to help research the acoustic feedback instead, according to that update.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Center is working to find an underwater remote operated vehicle to help assist in the search, according to the memo.

CNN has reached out to OceanGate, the US Coast Guard in Boston and Canadian authorities for comment.

Rolling Stone was first to report the news Tuesday night.

CNN’s Andy Rose and Paul Murphy contributed to this report.

OceanGate explains why the Titan submersible is not "classed"

From CNN’s Celina Tebor

In a 2019 blog post on OceanGate’s website, the company said most marine operations “require that chartered vessels are ‘classed’ by an independent group such as the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), DNV/GL, Lloyd’s Register, or one of the many others.”

This “classing” system ensures vessels are designed and built following regulations such as the number of life rafts or types of materials used.

But the Titan submersible that went missing en route to the Titanic wreck, is not classed, the blog post said. 

It said classing innovative designs often requires a multiyear approval process, which gets in the way of rapid innovation.

Classing agencies “do not ensure that operators adhere to proper operating procedures and decision-making processes – two areas that are much more important for mitigating risks at sea. The vast majority of marine (and aviation) accidents are a result of operator error, not mechanical failure,” it said.

“Classing assures ship owners, insurers, and regulators that vessels are designed, constructed and inspected to accepted standards. Classing may be effective at filtering out unsatisfactory designers and builders, but the established standards do little to weed out subpar vessel operators – because classing agencies only focus on validating the physical vessel,” it read. 

OceanGate touted Titan's safety features, despite conflicting info over its development

From CNN’s Celina Tebor

In a 2021 court filing, OceanGate’s legal representative touted the specifications and a hull monitoring system that he called “an unparalleled safety feature” built into the Titan submersible.

The legal representative informed the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, which oversees matters related to the Titanic, of the company’s expedition plans at the time.

The filing lays out the Titan’s testing details and its specifications, including that it had undergone more than 50 test dives and detailing its 5-inch-thick carbon fiber and titanium hull.

The filing said OceanGate’s vessel was the result of more than eight years of work, including “detailed engineering and development work under a company issued $5 million contract to the University of Washington’s Applied Physics Laboratory.”

But according to the University of Washington, the laboratory never dealt with design or engineering for OceanGate’s Titan vessel. 

In a statement to CNN, Kevin Williams, the executive director of UW’s Applied Physics Laboratory, said the lab’s expertise involved “only shallow water implementation,” and “the Laboratory was not involved in the design, engineering or testing of the TITAN submersible used in the RMS TITANIC expedition.”

In 2022, the legal representative updated the Virginia court on OceanGate’s expeditions in another court filing.  

There were no submersible-related issues that canceled dives on the third, fourth, or fifth missions, according to the court filing. 

CNN has reached out to OceanGate for comment. 

2 previous OceanGate employees voiced safety concerns years ago about the submersible

From CNN’s Celina Tebor
An undated photo of the OceanGate Titan submersible.
An undated photo of the OceanGate Titan submersible.
From OceanGate/FILE

Two former employees of OceanGate Expeditions separately brought up similar safety concerns about the thickness of the now-missing Titan submersible’s hull when they were employed by the company years ago.

A statement from a research lab appears to show conflicting information about the engineering and testing that went into the development of the vessel.

David Lochridge worked as an independent contractor for OceanGate in 2015, then as an employee between 2016 and 2018, according to court filings. He served as the company’s director of marine operations.

The company terminated his employment and sued Lochridge and his wife in 2018, claiming he shared confidential information, misappropriated trade secrets and used the company for immigration assistance then manufactured a reason to be fired. The lawsuit noted that Lochridge is not an engineer, calling him a submersible pilot and a diver.

In a counter filing, Lochridge claimed he was wrongfully terminated for raising concerns about the safety and testing of the Titan.

Lochridge’s countersuit says he was tasked by OceanGate’s CEO, Stockton Rush, to perform an inspection of the submersible. It says Lochridge brought up concerns that no non-destructive testing had been performed on the Titan’s hull to check for “delaminations, porosity and voids of sufficient adhesion of the glue being used due to the thickness of the hull.” 

The suit says that when Lochridge raised the issue, he was told that no equipment existed to perform such a test.

The lawsuit was settled and dismissed in November 2018. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed, and Lochridge could not be reached for comment.

Court filings from the company indicate there was much additional testing after Lochridge’s time at OceanGate, and it’s unclear whether any of his concerns were addressed as the vessel was developed.  

An undated photo of the OceanGate Titan submersible.
An undated photo of the OceanGate Titan submersible.
From OceanGate/FILE

Another former employee of OceanGate who worked briefly for the company during the same time period as Lochridge spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak publicly. 

He said he became concerned when the carbon fiber hull of the Titan arrived, echoing Lochridge’s concerns about its thickness and adhesion in his conversation with CNN. He said the hull had only been built to 5 inches thick, while he said company engineers told him they had expected it to be 7 inches thick.

The former employee worked at the submersible company for two and a half months in 2017; he was an operations technician who assisted with towing submersibles out into the ocean and preparing them for the diving operation. 

He said more concerns were raised by contractors and employees during his time at OceanGate and Rush became defensive and shied away from answering questions during all-staff meetings. When the former employee raised concerns that OceanGate could potentially be violating a US law relating to Coast Guard inspections directly to Rush, the CEO outright dismissed them, the former employee said, and that’s when he resigned.

CNN has reached out to OceanGate for comment. 

US Coast Guard releases image showing search pattern for missing submersible

From CNN’s Amanda Jackson
Search patterns used in the search for the Titan submersible.
Search patterns used in the search for the Titan submersible.
U.S. Coast Guard

The US Coast Guard released an image showing the search pattern for the Titan submersible — and provided an update on existing and incoming resources that are expected to aid in the search for the underwater vessel.

A New York Air National Guard C-130 arrived at about 4 p.m. to assist in the search, joining “Deep Energy,” a Bahamian research vessel that arrived around 7 a.m., and was conducting remotely operated vehicle (ROV) operations, the Coast Guard said.

The following additional assets are also en route to the scene, the US Coast Guard said:

·         Canadian CGS John Cabot

·         Canadian CGS Ann Harvey

·         Canadian CGS Terry Fox

·         Canadian CGS Atlantic Merlin (ROV) 

·         Motor Vessel Horizon Arctic 

·         Commercial Vessel Skandi Vinland (ROV) 

·         French Research Vessel L’Atalante (ROV) 

·         His Majesty’s Canadian Ship Glace Bay (mobile decompression chamber and medical personnel) 

What could have gone wrong on the submersible?

An undated file photo shows the Titan submersible.
An undated file photo shows the Titan submersible.
OceanGate Expeditions

It remains unclear what happened to the missing submersible on Sunday when it lost contact with crews on the surface on its way down to the Titanic wreckage.

But with no word from the vessel, experts say the odds don’t look good — and there are a few things that could have gone wrong.

  • One major risk is a power cut, which could have caused the loss of communication, said Eric Fusil, a submarine expert and associate professor at the University of Adelaide. Some submersibles have a second source of energy, in case the primary electrical system fails — but it’s not clear if the Titan had power backups when it went missing, he said.
  • A short circuit could cause a fire on board, which not only would ruin the vessel’s systems but create toxic fumes in a small, enclosed space — a major danger to those aboard, he said.
  • Flooding is always a risk, and at the depths of the Titanic, the immense pressure would cause most vessels to implode, Fusil said. The Titan is equipped with an innovative new safety feature that monitors pressure on the vessel, and triggers a warning to the pilot if any issues are detected, according to the vessel operator.
  • Finally, there’s the danger of entanglement. With strong currents underwater and a field of Titanic debris on the ocean floor, there’s a chance the submersible could be trapped or find its path blocked, Fusil said.

Couple filed lawsuit against OceanGate CEO in February demanding refund after Titanic trip was canceled

From CNN’s Jamiel Lynch
Marc and Sharon Hagle were on Blue Origin’s 2022 space mission.
Marc and Sharon Hagle were on Blue Origin’s 2022 space mission.
Blue Origin Media

OceanGate Expeditions CEO Richard Stockton Rush was sued in February by a Florida couple seeking a refund for a trip to see the Titanic wreckage they claim was booked with OceanGate but never happened.  

According to the lawsuit, Marc and Sharon Hagle of Winter Park, Florida, signed a contract with Rush to go on a manned submersible dive expedition to the RMS Titanic on Cyclops 2. In November of 2016, the Hagles paid a deposit of $10,000 each, which they say they were told was fully refundable. 

But after paying a total of $210,258 and seeing their expedition postponed many times, the lawsuit says they were unable to get a refund. The lawsuit alleges fraudulent inducement and violation of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. 

Rush is on board the submersible that went missing on Sunday. CNN has reached out to OceanGate for comment on the lawsuit. The online docket for Florida’s 9th Judicial Circuit shows no response to the lawsuit at this time.  

The lawsuit states that the Hagles were each due to pay a $40,000 “milestone payment 15 days after Cyclops 2 made its first dive, approximately around October 2017. Under their contract, a $55,129 final payment each was due on February 1, 2018, which would have been approximately four months before the scheduled date of their expedition,” the lawsuit says.

The couple, who were on Blue Origin’s 2022 space mission, became skeptical the expedition would take place and were contemplating requesting a refund, the lawsuit states.

It says Rush visited the couple in Florida in 2017 and explained the design of Cyclops 2 to them as well as the details of the expedition and crew that would be manning the submersible. He also told them Cyclops 2 would be ready to dive to the wreckage as planned, in June 2018, the lawsuit adds. The lawsuit states that Rush confirmed at that time that they would receive a full refund if they wanted.

The Hagles’ lawsuit claims they received a second contract after Rush’s visit that required them to pay the full balance for the expedition, a total of $190,258 more, which they wired to OceanGate. A month after they signed the new contract and wired the money, the name of Cyclops 2 was changed to Titan, the lawsuit says. 

The June 2018 expedition was canceled two months later. The lawsuit alleges that the reason they were given was that OceanGate had not had sufficient time to do tests to certify the Titan could reach the depth of the Titanic wreckage, the lawsuit claims.  

The new expedition was scheduled for July 2019, but canceled the month before, first saying the support vessel refused to participate and later citing “equipment failure,” according to the suit. The Hagles claim they were then told their new expedition date would be some time in 2020. 

The couple then requested a refund of the $210,258 they had paid. 

The Hagles claim that though they had been told by OceanGate’s expedition manager that the company was working on a “full refund plan,” they received communication from OceanGate demanding they participate in a July 2021 expedition. If they failed to do so, they would not be entitled to a refund or credit, the lawsuit says they were told.

The couple is asking the court for the return of their monies paid as well as punitive damages.

When reached by CNN, the Hagles’ attorney, Ronny Edwards Jr., declined to comment on the pending litigation, but said, “More important than the litigation, however, is the safe return of the entire Titan crew. My thoughts and prayers are with the crew and their families.”

CNN’s Ross Levitt contributed to this report. 

"Very few assets in the world that can go down that deep." Expert says rescue would be complex mission

From CNN's Greg Wallace

If search crews locate the missing submersible deep in the ocean, authorities will face a highly complex mission to recover the craft and any survivors, an expert said Tuesday.  

McCord said sophisticated naval craft could reach the wreckage of the Titanic at a pace of about 1,000 feet per hour. At more than 12,000 feet below sea level, diving and surfacing could take a full day.  

At these depths, a remote craft would be able to explore a limited area rather than cruise along the ocean floor, he said.

“When you’re going deep, you usually go up and down like an elevator,” McCord said. “When you’re going shallow, you can go further like a nuclear submarine.” 

Once crews have narrowed their search, they could deploy a cargo van-sized remote-operated craft to locate the submersible. The remotely operated vehicle, or ROV, is tethered to a surface ship with a two-inch thick cable to provide power and communication. The ROV could be moved to a Canadian port by military aircraft, loaded onto a ship by crane, and then steamed to the search site, McCord said.  

US military ROVs have electric motors and cameras, but do not have the capacity to lift the missing vessel, McCord said.  

Rescuing the missing craft from the ocean depths would require a second, more specialized vehicle known as the Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System, he said. FADOSS includes specialized shock absorbers to handle lifting loads of up to 60,000 pounds without snapping its cable to the surface.  

The US Navy said that it is sending a FADOSS to assist in the search and rescue efforts. It is expected to arrive in St. Johns Tuesday night, a spokesperson said.

NY Times: Submersible industry leaders were concerned about OceanGate's "experimental" approach

From CNN's Elizabeth Hartfield

Industry leaders expressed concerns five years ago about OceanGate Expeditions’ “experimental approach” to the Titan submersible and its planned trip to the site of the Titanic wreckage, the New York Times reported Tuesday

The Manned Underwater Vehicles committee of the Marine Technology Society penned a letter to OceanGate’s CEO Stockton Rush in 2018, it said.

Specifically, it expressed concern over the company’s compliance with a maritime risk assessment certification known as DNV-GL. 

“Your marketing material advertises that the TITAN design will meet or exceed the DNV-GL safety standards, yet it does not appear that Oceangate has the intention of following DNV-GL class rules,” the letter said.

The leaders wrote that portraying the Titan this way is misleading to the public and “breaches an industry-wide professional code of conduct we all endeavor to uphold.”

OceanGate has not responded to a request for comment on the letter. 

The company’s CEO, Stockton Rush, is one of the five passengers onboard the missing Titan submersible, a source told CNN on Tuesday.

The missing submersible has less than 40 hours of air left. Here's where the search stands today

From CNN Staff

The five people onboard the submersible that went missing near the wreckage of the Titanic have less than 40 hours of breathable air left, according to the US Coast Guard.

The urgent search has not yielded anything so far, but officials are looking on both on the surface and underwater in the remote North Atlantic area. More equipment and personnel are expected to arrive soon, the Coast Guard said Tuesday.

Here’s where things stand:

  • Some background: The submersible was part of an eight-day expedition to the Titanic conducted by OceanGate Expeditions. The search is focused around the site of the shipwreck, about 900 miles off the coast of Cape Cod. The submersible began its two-hour descent Sunday morning. It lost contact with the Polar Prince, the support ship that transported the vessel to the site, less than two hours into its descent, officials said. Search operations began later that day.
  • Latest on search efforts: The US Coast Guard is working “around the clock” to try to find the missing submersible, Capt. Jamie Frederick, with the First Coast Guard District Response Department, said in a briefing Tuesday. In addition to looking on the surface of the water, the team has underwater search capability on the scene, another Coast Guard official said. Deep sea-mapping company Magellan, most famously known for its one-of-a-kind deep sea imagery of the Titanic, is also working to get its equipment to the site. Weather and fog complicated aerial search efforts Monday, according to officials. But, conditions cleared up on Tuesday.
  • Collaborative assistance: The US Navy is sending experts and a “Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System” — which can lift small vessels — to assist, a spokesperson said Tuesday. The US military is moving military and commercial assets, according to the Coast Guard and US Transportation Command. France said it has dispatched a ship with an underwater robot.

Here’s a look at how deep the submersible was going:

  • Who is inside: There are five people in the submersible, according to multiple authorities. One of them is Stockton Rush, CEO and founder of OceanGate, the company leading the voyage, according to a source with knowledge of the mission plan. The others are British businessman Hamish Harding, Pakistani billionaire Shahzada Dawood and his son Sulaiman Dawood and French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
  • Family and friends of passengers: A friend of Harding told CNN that the explorer is “larger than life” and would be “calm and collected” in an emergency. A colleague of Nargeolet said the community of explorers and scientists is “in shock.” Another friend of the French submariner said that he had been to the Titanic wreckage dozens of times and dedicated his professional life to its history.

Missing submariner has been to Titanic wreck dozens of times, friend says

From CNN's Aurore Laborie, Joseph Ataman and Jessie Gretener
An undated file photo shows the Titanic shipwreck from a viewport of an OceanGate Expeditions submersible.
An undated file photo shows the Titanic shipwreck from a viewport of an OceanGate Expeditions submersible.
From OceanGate Expeditions/File

A friend of Paul-Henri Nargeolet, one of the passengers on the missing submersible, described the French ex-Navy officer as someone with deep knowledge of the Titanic and a person who accepted the risk that came with these expeditions.

Mathieu Johann, a friend of Paul-Henri Nargeolet, said he hopes its an end “like in the movies, he’ll reappear very quickly to reassure us all.”

Johann is a Director at Harper Collins France and worked with Nargeolet on his book about the Titanic.

Nargeolet “became attached to its history” and the mysteries that may be inside the wreckage, he said.

“I know that his big thing is trying to find out what’s in the Titanic’s safe. I hope with all my heart that one day he’ll manage to penetrate that vault, which remains full of mystery 4000 meters under the sea,” Johann said. “He’s also been married to the Titanic for 30 years. So I hope he’s still going to teach us lots of things because he’s a great man, humble and passionate and fascinating,” he added.

Johann described Nargeolet as someone who “risked his life all his life” and that although he knew diving to the Titanic wreck is risky, it was just part of his daily life.

King Charles III requests to be kept fully up to date about missing submersible

From CNN's Max Foster

King Charles III has requested to be kept fully up to date regarding the submersible that went missing on a trip to view wreckage of the Titanic, a royal source said.

Shahzada Dawood, who is one of the people on board the missing submersible, is a longtime supporter of The Prince’s Trust International and The British Asian Trust, according to the source.

The source said the King’s thoughts and prayers are with the Dawood family, as well as those involved in the attempted recovery operation.

US Navy sending experts and deep ocean salvage system to aid in submersible search

From CNN's Haley Britzky and Oren Liebermann

The US Navy is sending subject matter experts and a “Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System (FADOSS)” to assist in the search and rescue of a tour sub that has been missing since Sunday, a spokesperson said Tuesday. 

The FADOSS is a “motion compensated lift system designed to provide reliable deep ocean lifting capacity for the recovery of large, bulky, and heavy undersea objects such as aircraft or small vessels,” the spokesperson said.

A Navy information page on the FADOSS says it can lift up to 60,000 pounds. 

The equipment and personnel are expected to arrive at St. John’s by Tuesday night and will be in support of the US Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard said Tuesday that the search has not yielded anything so far, but it is continuing to look both on the surface and underwater for the missing submersible. Officials estimated that the crew onboard has “about 40 hours of breathable air left.”

Friend of missing passenger recalls conversation he had before submersible trip

Ret. US Air Force Col. Terry Virts said his friend, who is a passenger on the missing submersible, was “very excited” about the trip to view the wreckage from the Titanic.

Virts recalled the “brief” conversation via text message with Hamish Harding ahead of the voyage.

Virts described Harding as an adventurer who had been on trips including the South Pole, the Mariana Trench and outer space.

“While he’s down at the bottom of the ocean waiting for rescue, he’s probably planning out his next exploration adventure,” Virts said.

He said Harding’s past adventuring experiences could help to serve him in his current situation.

He added that the calmer the five passengers are in the submersible, “the longer their oxygen supply will last and they certainly realize that.”

Coast Guard officials said Tuesday they estimated there is “about 40 hours of breathable air left.”

US military moving military and commercial assets to help submersible search efforts

From CNN's Oren Liebermann and Haley Britzky
A pair of C-17s are seen at Buffalo Niagara International Airport on Tuesday.
A pair of C-17s are seen at Buffalo Niagara International Airport on Tuesday.
WKBW

The US military is moving military and commercial assets to help in the ongoing search efforts for the missing submersible, according to the Coast Guard and US Transportation Command.

The Navy’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving is working with US Transportation Command to bring “more capable assets” into the search, Capt. Jamie Frederick of the First Coast Guard District said Tuesday. The assets will be moved first to St. John’s in Canada and then taken to the search area. 

The Navy command has advanced remotely operated dive vehicles capable of operating at the extreme depths required in this search effort. 

“The Navy is working to coordinate assets with the USCG and the unified command. We will give you more details as we get assets and personnel in place,” according to a Navy spokesperson.

There will also be three flights from Buffalo, New York, to St. John’s today carrying commercial cargo that may be able to assist in the search and rescue efforts, a spokesman for TRANSCOM told CNN.

It is unclear at this time what assets or equipment are on the flights or to whom they belong. 

“U.S. Transportation Command is coordinating authorized planning and support of DoD assistance and transport of assets in the location and recovery of a disabled commercial-owned manned submersible in the Atlantic Ocean,” a TRANSCOM spokesperson said in a statement.

The defense department is also assisting, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said.

Two C-130 aircraft were assisting in search and rescue flights over the area on Monday, and an Air National Guard C-130 would be joining the efforts Tuesday, she said.

“[B]y the end of today, we would have committed three C-130s to conducting search and rescue flights,” Singh said. “In addition to that, 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.

Retired US admiral says submersible search time will impact outcome 

From CNN’s Henry Hullah

The more time passes in the search for the missing submersible, “the less likely a positive outcome will occur,” Ret. U.S. Admiral Mike Mullen said Tuesday.

Mullen, who is also a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that those on board of the missing sub will be “trying to conserve as much oxygen as possible.”

Coast Guard officials said Tuesday they estimate there is “about 40 hours of breathable air left” in the missing submersible that went missing on its way to view the wreckage from the Titanic.

The search will be complicated if the sub isn’t emitting any sound. “Because it’s probably not making noise… to find it acoustically will be a challenge,” Harris said.

Biden closely watching search efforts for missing submersible, White House says

From CNN's DJ Judd
An undated photo of the OceanGate Titan submersible.
An undated photo of the OceanGate Titan submersible.
From OceanGate/File

US President Joe Biden is “watching events closely” surrounding the missing submersible near the wreckage of the Titanic, the White House said Tuesday.

National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby pointed to the ongoing, collaborative search and rescue efforts by the Coast Guard, Canadian officials and other agencies. He said, “Certainly the president wants the Coast Guard to continue to participate in that.” 

Kirby said the US Navy is also on standby “should they be needed because they have some deep-water capabilities that the Coast Guard wouldn’t necessarily have.”

Expert tells CNN recovery will happen in phases if rescuers can locate the missing submersible

Rick Murcar, owner of Aquatic Adventures of Florida, described the phases of recovery that rescuers will go through if they can locate the missing submersible.

“That’s going to be a long process,” he added.

Coast Guard officials on Tuesday afternoon estimated there is “about 40 hours of breathable air left” in the submersible, which went missing Sunday on a trip to view the wreckage of the Titanic.

So far, the Coast Guard and its partners’ search efforts have “not yielded any results,” Capt. Jamie Frederick, with the First Coast Guard District Response Department, said Tuesday.

Visibility for aerial search has improved today, Coast Guard official says

Weather conditions and fog complicated aerial search efforts Monday, the Coast Guard said, but conditions are expected to clear up as the search continues on Tuesday.

The Coast Guard has deployed several aircraft to search the surface of the water for the missing submersible. Canada also said it has mobilized planes to help.

Simpson said Coast Guard aircraft crews receive specialized training to be able to spot objects in the ocean in scenarios like this.

READ MORE
A search and rescue operation is underway for a submarine touring the wreckage of the Titanic
‘Largest underwater scanning project in history’ gives never-before-seen view of Titanic
Huge Titanic plan used in 1912 inquiry into ship’s sinking sells for $243,000

READ MORE
A search and rescue operation is underway for a submarine touring the wreckage of the Titanic
‘Largest underwater scanning project in history’ gives never-before-seen view of Titanic
Huge Titanic plan used in 1912 inquiry into ship’s sinking sells for $243,000