Titanic Sub Has Less Than 24 Hours Left Of Breathable Air Amid 'Very Complex Search'

This is so heartbreaking.

According to BBC News, the OceanGate Expeditions submarine that went missing amid a trek to visit the Titanic wreckage has less than 24 hours left of oxygen. It is estimated the vessel — carrying five people — will run out of breathable air on Thursday at around 6 a.m. EST. The submersible departed with about 96 hours of oxygen onboard when it began its dive on Sunday morning, per United States Coast Guard officials via CBS.

So harrowing…

As we’ve been following, the sub, nicknamed the Titan, lost contact with its crew above water just under two hours after beginning the long dive to the sunken ship. Passengers are said to have paid around $250k for a chance to see the shipwreck in person, located about 900 miles east of Cape Cod and 400 miles south of St. Johns, Newfoundland. The Canadian Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, and OceanGate are currently working with several agencies to locate the ship before it’s too late, but the investigation has turned up little so far.

The biggest lead came on Wednesday morning when officials announced sonar devices picked up “banging sounds,” giving investigators hope those in the sub may still be alive. Unfortunately, even if crews do locate the sub, there’s the challenge of getting the right equipment to extract it from the ocean in time. United States Coast Guard Captain Jamie Frederick said in a press conference on Tuesday:

“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.”

He added:

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

It has been reported that the passengers onboard include Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his teenage son Suleman Dawood, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and British billionaire Hamish Harding. Our thoughts and prayers are with them all and their families in this devastating time. Here’s hoping for a miracle in the next few hours.