Expert describes dangers of deep-sea exploration after Titanic submersible goes missing
BRONX, New York (WABC) -- As the race against time continues in the search for the missing Titanic submersible, an engineering expert at a local college in the Bronx weighed in on the dangers of deep-sea exploration.
Jennifer Waters is an ocean engineering expert at Maritime College whose office houses a replica of the Titanic.
She says she understands both the appeal and the danger of deep-sea exploration.
"Having people interested in it is valuable, but of course it is a very unforgiving environment, it's a very dangerous environment," Waters said.
It comes as rescuers on Wednesday rushed more ships and vessels to the area where the submersible disappeared on its way to the Titanic wreckage site.
"This is a search and rescue mission, 100%," U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Jamie Frederick said.
Search teams have not lost hope, but make no mistake, the clock is ticking.
The missing submersible with five people on board has an estimated 14 hours of oxygen left.
On Wednesday, the coast guard said the main point of focus is an area where Canadian military planes have detected sounds, described as banging noises, which were heard on Tuesday and again on Wednesday.
"That data was sent immediately to the Navy last night, and it was analyzed overnight, they are still looking at it, but I can tell you it's inconclusive," Frederick said.
The submersible Titan lost contact with the support ship it relies on for communication on Sunday morning. Additional resources equipped with advanced deep sonar continue to arrive some 900 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, scouring a vast stretch of the north Atlantic Ocean.
"The surface search is now approximately two times the size of Connecticut and the sub surface search is up to two and a half miles deep," Frederick said.
The sub, operated by OceanGate, has raised numerous safety concerns ever since the company began its dives to view wreckage of the Titanic.
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