The family of the father and son on the missing submersible have spoken out about their loved ones being trapped deep in the Atlantic Ocean.
The underwater vessel, named Titan, was in the process of giving five people - who paid more than $300,000 - an in-depth look at the infamous Titanic wreckage on Sunday (June 18).
The journey would see the submersible embark on a 12,500 foot deep expedition, overseen and operated by OceanGate. The trip was described as an opportunity to "become one of the few to see the Titanic with your own eyes," according to CBS News.
However, events took a turn for the worse as about one hour and 45 minutes into the dive, the sub stopped sending regulated signals back to a Canadian research vessel.
This instantly raised alarm bells for the US Coast Guard and OceanGate Expeditions - prompting them to immediately set up a major search operation.
The desperate search to locate the missing vessel has entered a critical stage, as the submersible has an estimated 96 hours' worth of breathable air. Reports suggest the oxygen supply could deplete by 6AM BST on Thursday, June 22.
The rescue and search operation - which involves both US and Canadian ships and planes - faces a difficult challenge, as the Titanic wreckage sits at a depth of approximately 12,500 feet on the ocean floor.
On Monday (June 19), Rear Admiral John Mauger, first district commander of the US coast guard overseeing the search-and-rescue operation, told reporters at a press conference that "we are doing everything we can do" to find Titan and its occupants.
"We’re making the best use of every moment of that time. What we’re focused on is finding those five people," he added, per The Guardian.
In addition to this, Captain Jamie Frederick of the US Coast Guard released a statement at a press conference on Tuesday (June 20), revealing in-depth details of what has occurred.
"On Sunday, the coordination command center in Boston received a report from the Canadian expedition vessel Polar Prince of an overdue 21-foot submarine, Titan, with five people on board," he said as per CBS News. "The Titan was attempting to dive on the wreck of the Titanic, approximately 900 miles east of Cape Cod and 400 miles south of St. John’s, Newfoundland."
The five confirmed names on the missing sub are CEO and founder of OceanGate Expeditions Stockton Rush, British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, French submersible pilot Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood.
Sabrina Dawood - sister to Shahzada and aunt to Suleman - spoke to Sky News about the family's devastating plight and expressed how grateful they are for the search efforts.
"We are deeply grateful for the efforts of news agencies during this difficult time; your constant coverage of the missing Titan submersible is undoubtedly playing a large role in the world's ability to access relevant updates on the matter," the philanthropist and educational activist said.
"At this time, the Dawood family's sole focus is the rescue of our beloved Shahzada and Suleman Dawood and we are unable to address any questions or comments at the moment."
"We trust that the family will be granted privacy as we deal with this crisis," she continued. "May Shahzada and Suleman return to us safe and sound," adding: "We are sure they would be as moved as we are by the support of the global community during this period of difficulty."
An array of ships are involved in the search effort, including French research vessel L'Atalante, Bahamian research vessel Deep Energy, His Majesty's Canadian Ship Glace Bay, and four Canadian Coast Guard vessels, according to The Mirror.
