Remotely controlled vehicles join submarine search for missing Titanic submarine

The United States Coast Guard says two more remotely operated vehicles have joined the search for a submarine that lost contact with surface craft on Sunday as it dived to reach the wreckage of the Titanic with five people on board.

The First Coast Guard District in Boston confirmed on Twitter this morning that the French ROV L’Atalante was being readied to enter the water about 700 miles southeast of Newfoundland.

Meanwhile, the Coast Guard also confirmed that the Canadian ship Horizon Arctic had deployed an ROV that had reached the ocean floor searching for the Titan, a carbon fiber and titanium submarine operated by US-based OceanGate Expeditions.

The search has intensified as the company has stated that the minivan-sized submarine has an air supply that can last for four days, meaning supplies could run out as of today.

US authorities say “thumping noises” have been detected in the search area, though the cause remains unclear.

Recordings of those sounds, made on Tuesday and Wednesday, have been shared with the US Navy for analysis.