Oceangate submersible Titan.Photo:Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
The United States Coast Guard is denying reports that“banging” noiseswere heard near the site where a missing submersible carrying five passengers went missing in the Atlantic Ocean.
The Coast Guard later confirmed in a statement that a Canadian P-3 aircraft “detected underwater noises in the search area.”
However, U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class (PO3) Briana Carter tells PEOPLE that those sounds have been “characterized as underwater noise.”
“We don’t have anything at this time indicating any implosion or banging,” Carter says.
The U.S. Coast Guard says it is “working closely with U.S. Navy experts for further analysis” of the noises.
In the meantime, operations involving remotely-operated vehicles (ROV) “have been reallocated to explore the origin of the noise,” the Coast Guard says. So far, ROV searches “have not yielded results.”
An OceanGate submersible.Ocean Gate / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Ocean Gate / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
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Carter says the U.S. Coast Guard does not have sonar capabilities, and “are relying on capabilities of partner agencies, such as the Canadian Coast Guard and the commercial vessels in that area, such as the Skandi Vinland.”
“We are not experts on sonar,” Carter tells PEOPLE.
Oceangate submersible Titan.Alamy Stock Photo
Norwegian vessel company DOF Group, which owns the Skandi Vinland, hasconfirmedthat the multi-purpose vessel “has joined the search and rescue operation” for the missing submersible.
The ship, which has two built-in ROVs, arrived at the search site around 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Both of the ship’s ROVs have been deployed, allowing an operations team “to provide 24-hour assistance” during the search.
The Canadian Coast Guard did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
TheTitanwas attempting to reach theTitanicwreckage on Sunday when it lost contact with Canadian expedition vessel Polar Prince, according to officials.
The vessel is equipped with just96 hours of oxygen, United States Coast Guard Captain Jamie Frederick confirmed at a press conference on Tuesday.
source: people.com
