Rescue crews searching for a missing Titanic submersible detected "banging" noises coming from the area where five people went missing in the Atlantic Ocean.
Shortly after midnight in Newfoundland, Canada, the first reports emerged of potential signs of hope.
The vessel - named Titan - lost contact with its mothership, MV Polar Prince around one hour and 45 minutes into the two-hour descent.
The OceanGate sub's air supply is due to run out around 10am on Thursday UK time (5am EST).
The port bow railing of the Titanic lies in 12,600 feet of water about 400 miles east of Nova Scotia as photographed earlier this month
Reuters
However, there appeared to be a breakthrough in their search for the sub after teams said they "detected underwater noises" in 30 minute intervals.
Two US media outlets reported a leaked internal email sent to the US Department of Homeland Security.
The noises were found to be coming from the search area by a Canadian search aircraft.
"The P8 [seacraft] heard banging sounds in the area every 30 minutes. Four hours later additional sonar was deployed and banging was still heard," Rolling Stone magazine reported the email as saying.
CNN reported a similar internal update sent on Tuesday night, which suggested more sounds were picked up.
“Additional acoustic feedback was heard and will assist in vectoring surface assets and also indicating continued hope of survivors,” the second memo said.
The US Coast Guard later confirmed the news, but said despite the development there had been no results yet.
British billionaire Hamish Harding, who runs an aviation company, is among those missing along with Paul-Henry Nargeolet, a former French Navy diver and Stockton Rush, the chief executive of OceanGate.
Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate exhibitions is also onboard the missing vessel
Reuters
British businessman Shahzada Dawood, a member of one of Pakistan's richest families, and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood are also onboard the vessel.
The OceanGate Expeditions tour group, which takes explorers to the depths of the Atlantic for $200,000 per person, is believed to have lost contact when the vessel was directly above the Titanic wreck.
Titanic's wreck sits about 3,800m (12,500ft) below sea level at the bottom of the ocean around 370 miles off the coast of Newfoundland but in US waters.
Fears have been raised that Titan could be stuck in the wreckage of the Titanic which is too deep for rescuers to reach.
