'About 40 Hours of Breathable Air' Could Be Left on Missing 'Titanic' Sub, Official Says

Passengers aboard the missing submersive in the Atlantic Ocean could have less than two days to go until they run out of oxygen, according to authorities.

At a press conference in Boston on Tuesday, United States Coast Guard Captain Jamie Frederick said search efforts “have not yielded any results.” If the vessel is intact, time is running out to reach the sub, which started with about 96 hours worth of oxygen.

“There’s about 40 hours of breathable air left, based on that initial report,” Frederick explained.

The search for theTitanbegan shortly after they “lost all communication” with Canadian expedition vessel Polar Prince “approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes” into the dive on Sunday, Frederick said at Tuesday’s press conference. The vessel was attempting to dive to theTitanicwreck when it vanished.

Alamy Stock Photo

An OceanGate submersible.Ocean Gate / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Ocean Gate / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Aboard the submersible were Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, their family and King Charles' Prince’s Trust International confirmed to PEOPLE on Tuesday.

Shahzada’s father, Hussain Dawood, was a Founding Patron of Prince’s Trust International, and has been an advisor to Prince’s Trust International in various capacities.

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One of search and rescue crews’ main concerns is getting the proper equipment to the site before the timeline runs out. Frederick said there is “a full court-press effort” to get equipment on the scene as soon as possible.

“We’re talking about very heavy equipment,” the captain explained. “It’s a complicated transport operation, but the best professionals in the world are working it.”

However, the Coast Guard itself does not have the proper equipment to conduct the search, and is relying on other agencies and companies for assistance. It is also a difficult process to get the proper assets to the search area, which is about 900 miles east of Cape Cod and 400 miles south of St. Johns, Newfoundland, Frederick explained.

OceanGate submersible Titan.Alamy Stock Photo

“This is a very complex search, and the unified team is working around the clock to bring all available assets and expertise to bear as quickly as possible in an effort to solve this very complex problem,” the Coast Guard captain told reporters on Tuesday.

The Coast Guard is “doing everything possible” to locate theTitan, and has engaged in a “constant” search for the missing submersible since they were alerted to the situation, Frederick said.

Multiple agencies are assisting in the search, including the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards, the U.S. Navy, and OceanGate, Frederick said. Several civilian ships have offered their assistance, and numerous private vessels with ROV capabilities are preparing to join the search as well.

More than 7,600 square miles of ocean was searched as of Tuesday morning, and the area searched is larger than the state of Connecticut, the captain said.

A 194-meter vessel namedDeep Energyarrived at the scene on Tuesday, Frederick said. A remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dive has commenced at theTitan’s last known position, he added.

Meanwhile, a Canadian P-3 aircraft is conducting a six-hour search of the area, with another P-3 and “several C-130 aircrafts” scheduled to fly later Tuesday.

“All of our efforts are focused on finding the sub,” Frederick told reporters at Tuesday’s press conference.

source: people.com