Rescuers rush to find missing Titanic sub as oxygen runs out onboard

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Rescuers made a desperate last attempt on Thursday morning to find the submersible that was lost on Sunday while on a trip to view the Titanic.

It is expected that the sub had about 96 hours worth of oxygen when the trip began on Sunday, which would mean the five passengers on board would have until around 8 a.m. Thursday until the oxygen runs out. Rescuers sent out additional ships and vessels to find the sub, as banging sounds were heard from underwater. A remote operate search vehicle also reached the ocean floor in an attempt to extend the search Thursday morning.

An investor for the company who designed the sub said the vessel is designed to float back up to the surface after 24 hours, which has led to criticism saying the sub has design flaws. The CEO of the Titanic exhibition company, David Scott Beddard told CNN News that the future of Titanic explorations are slim after the incident.

"The chances of any future research being carried out on the wreck of Titanic is extremely slim, probably not in my lifetime," Beddard said. "I imagine there will be an inquiry no doubt after this disaster, and much more stringent rules and regulations will be put in place."

Scientists have also come out and said that the area of the North Atlantic where the sub went missing is known to have foggy and stormy conditions, which has made the search difficult. The area being searched is twice the size of Connecticut and over 13,000 feet deep.

It's still unknown if the noises heard are from passengers onboard, as well as what caused the sub to lose connection on Sunday.