Banging sounds heard in search for missing Titanic submarine are 'cause for hope'

OceanGate Expeditions organised the voyage to view the wreck of the Titanic

Banging sounds were heard on Tuesday in the area where the Titanic-bound submarine carrying five crew members disappeared on Sunday, American media is reporting. Internal US Department of Homeland Security memos say the banging sounds could be heard for hours at 30-minute intervals.

A renowned Titanic expert, a world-record holding adventurer, two members of one of Pakistan's wealthiest families and the CEO of OceanGate Expeditions -- the company leading an expedition to the world's most famous shipwreck -- are facing critical danger aboard a small submersible that went missing in the Atlantic Ocean.

The submersible Titan was reported overdue Sunday night about 700 kilometers south of St. John’s, Newfoundland, according to Canada’s Joint Rescue Coordination Center, spurring a desperate international rescue effort. Rescuers are racing against the clock because the oxygen supply could run out by approximately 6 a.m. Thursday.

Amid the massive search operation, a Canadian aircraft detected banging sounds originating from the area where the submersible disappeared while on its way to view the wreck of the Titanic.

“RCC Halifax launched a P8, Poseidon, which has underwater detection capabilities from the air,” the Department of Homeland Security e-mails read, according to Sky News.

“The PH deployed sonobuoys, which reported a contact in a position close to the distress position. The P8 heard banging sounds in the area every 30 minutes. Four hours later additional sonar was deployed and banging was still heard.”

As a result of the noises detected by the Canadian P-3 aircraft, search efforts have been relocated. Those searches had not found anything, but are continuing.

- Cause for hope -

It is not clear what caused the bangs, but rescuers hope they mean positive news.

Similar sounds were also reported by Richard Garriot de Cayeux, president of travel and research group The Explorers Club.

“It is being reported that at 2am local time on site that sonar detected potential ‘tapping sounds’ at the location, implying crew may be alive and signalling,” an email sent by de Cayeux on Tuesday afternoon read.

In a statement shared on social media, de Cayeux said there was “cause for hope”.

“We have much greater confidence that 1) There is cause for hope, based on data from the field — we understand that likely signs of life have been detected at the site,” he wrote.

(With inputs from AP)