Titan tourist sub: 'Debris field' discovered near Titanic as Coast Guard issues update
Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 Aurora maritime surveillance aircraft searches for the missing OceanGate submersible
Reuters
A debris field has been discovered near the Titanic, the US Coast Guard has confirmed.
Experts within the rescue team are now evaluating the information.
A news conference to reveal more about the findings will take place at 8pm (BST) tonight.
Rear Admiral John Mauger and Captain Jamie Frederick will be speaking at the press conference.
An image of a Titan submarine used for such expeditionsOcean GateHorizon Arctic, a Canadian vessel, launched a remotely operated vehicle which discovered the debris.
The ROV reached the sea floor equipped with cameras and sonar.
Confirming the latest development, the First Coast Guard District said: "A debris field was discovered within the search area by an ROV near the Titanic.
"Experts within the unified command are evaluating the information."
The Titanic tourist sub vanished in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday, sparking an urgent searchReutersThe Titan vessel vanished on Sunday some 435 miles south of Newfoundland.
The submarine was carrying five people during an expedition to see the wreck of the Titanic.
The US Coast Guard had predicted that the air supply in the vessel would run out at 12.08pm UK time on Thursday.
British billionaire Hamish Harding, 58, is among those missing as rescue crews continue to search the Atlantic Ocean.
Hamish Harding (left)Action AviationShehzada Dawood and his son Suleman from Pakistan were also onboard the five-person expedition vessel.
Ships, planes and underwater craft from multiple countries were deployed to the area.
The part of the Atlantic Ocean which has been subject to the search is more than twice the size of Connecticut in waters as deep as 4,020 metres.
Ann Harvey and Motor Vessel Horizon Arctic (ROV) arrived on scene earlier today to conduct search patterns in search of the submersible.