Coast Guard discovers debris near Titanic during Titan submersible search

The United States Coast Guard has announced the discovery of a debris field in the search for the missing Titan submersible near the wreck of the Titanic. The debris field was found by a remote-controlled vehicle deployed by the Horizon Arctic. Experts within the unified command are evaluating the information. The Titan submersible was projected to run out of oxygen early on Thursday, which could put the crew in danger of hypothermia. Dr. Simon Boxall, who teaches oceanography at England’s University of Southampton, explained that there are many variables that could affect the crew’s oxygen supply and that their ability to stay calm and avoid panicked breathing could prolong the timeline. Nikolas Xiros, professor of naval architecture and marine engineering at the University of New Orleans, warned that the temperatures inside the sub could be at the freezing point, and if a lack of oxygen doesn't get them, hypothermia might. The company responsible for the Titan, OceanGate Expeditions, reportedly took eight hours to alert the Coast Guard that they had lost contact with the submersible on Sunday. The sub lies roughly 400 miles southeast of St. John’s, Newfoundland. The sub had been in contact with the mothership, the Polar Prince when it started its dive on Sunday morning but lost contact at 9:45 a.m. The sub wasn’t reported missing to the U.S. Coast Guard until 5:40 p.m., eight hours later, and Canada’s Coast Guard wasn’t alerted until 9:13 p.m. on Sunday night.