An urgent around-the-clock effort to locate the missing Titan submersible has led to the discovery of a debris field near the site of the Titanic, marking a potential breakthrough in the search. The U.S. Coast Guard made the announcement but has not confirmed whether the debris is linked to the Titan, which was carrying five people on board, including the CEO of OceanGate, Stockton Rush, and four passengers.

The Titan was on an expedition to view the Titanic wreckage when it was reported overdue on Sunday. The vessel was en route to the site where the iconic ocean liner sank over a century ago. OceanGate Expeditions, the company leading the trip, has been conducting yearly voyages since 2021 to study the decay of the Titanic and the underwater ecosystem that surrounds it.

When it launched, the Titan was estimated to carry a four-day supply of breathable air. However, Thursday marked the end of this critical 96-hour window, amplifying the urgency of the search efforts. Experts have highlighted that the duration of the air supply is an imprecise approximation and could potentially be extended if the passengers took measures to conserve air.

The rescue mission has been broad and intensive, involving ships, planes, and other specialized equipment. An underwater robot sent by a Canadian ship has reached the seafloor, and a French research institute has added a deep-diving robot equipped with cameras, lights, and arms to the operation. The U.S. Navy has also dispatched a specialized salvage system designed to hoist heavy undersea objects like the 20,000-pound Titan submersible.

Despite the massive effort, the rescue mission faces significant challenges. These include locating the vessel, reaching it with the rescue equipment, and bringing it to the surface, all while the supply of breathable oxygen is dwindling.

Adding to these challenges is the vast size of the search area, which is twice the size of Connecticut and located in waters 2.5 miles deep. Dr. Rob Larter, a marine geophysicist with the British Antarctic Survey, likened finding the submersible to locating a “needle in a haystack” due to the completely dark environment and the size of the Titan, which is about 22 feet long and 9 feet high.

The search efforts have been guided by underwater sounds detected in the area on Tuesday and Wednesday. The exact location and source of these sounds remain undetermined, but experts have described them as “banging noises.” This could potentially be encouraging, as submarine crews unable to communicate with the surface are taught to bang on their vessel’s hull to be detected by sonar.

In the midst of the unfolding crisis, allegations have emerged suggesting that significant safety warnings about the vessel were issued during the Titan’s development. The implications of these revelations are not yet clear.

The situation with the missing submersible has captured global attention, with broadcasters around the world closely monitoring the development and estimating when the breathable air supply might run out.