Odds of finding Titanic submarine missing on trip to wreck are 'vanishingly small'

A naval expert says that it will be "impossible" to find the deep-sea submersible that went missing while visiting the Titanic wreck.

The vessel was reported missing on Sunday, with an enormous search operation launched that is racing to find the sub before the oxygen on board runs out.

According to experts, they have enough oxygen to last until 11am tomorrow morning.

Hopes were raised this morning after it was reported that rescuers searching for the submersible from the skies detected "banging noises" coming from the "distress" area.

However, retired navy rear admiral Chris Parry said that without an "emitting signal" from the vessel, it will be "impossible" to find them in the timescale.

He told LBC: "I'm afraid the odds are vanishingly small.

The vessel went missing on Sunday morning after losing contact with its mothership (PA)

"Obviously, we want to remain hopeful and optimistic but there are two problems here - one is actually finding the thing and secondly is how on earth are you going to get it off the seabed.

"It's never been done before and I don't think anybody's got any ideas about how to do it at the moment."

He added: "You've got this vastly complex seabed with all the debris of the Titanic, you've got hills and canyons and everything, and I'm afraid to say without an emitting signal from the vehicle itself it's almost, well, I'd say it's impossible to find in the timescale."

He went on: "Why on earth you would go in a dodgy piece of technology where you actually have to sign away any right to sue the company for emotional damage, injury or death is beyond me.

The tourists were studying the Titanic shipwreck from a deep-sea submersible (PA)

"It is fundamentally dangerous, there was no back-up plan, it's experimental and I'm afraid to say there's an element of hubris if you want to go down and do that."

Five people onboard tourist vessel - named Titan - vanished when heading on an expedition to the Titanic wreck site on Sunday morning.

Rescue crews have detected "banging sounds" near the site (PA)

Communications were lost to the mothership MV Polar Prince around one hour and 45 minutes into the two-hour descent.

British billionaire Hamish Harding, British-based Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son Sulaiman Dawood, 19; CEO of OceanGate Expeditions - the company which owns and operates the vessel - Stockton Rush and French submersible pilot Paul-Henry Nargeolet were all aboard the 22ft long single windowed sub.

Astronaut Hamish Harding receives his Blue Origin astronaut pin after a successful flight to space on June 4 last year (AP)

This morning, a friend of Mr Harding described him as "the quintessential British explorer" as the search-and-rescue mission for the Titan continues.

Colonel Terry Virts, a former commander of the International Space Station, spoke to Nick Robinson on the Today programme about Mr Harding's love of adventure.

He said: "Some people watch Netflix and some people play golf, and Hamish goes to the bottom of the ocean or into space or, you know, he sets world records flying around the planet.

The sub had only been below the waves for an hour and 45 minutes when communications were lost (PA)

"As I've said several times now, Hamish is the quintessential British explorer. He loves adventure. He loves exploring and that's just the kind of person he is."

Asked whether Mr Harding was "addicted to risk", Colonel Virts replied: "No, not all.

"I don't think Hamish is an adrenaline junkie at all. That's not Hamish. He likes exploration. And, you know, exploration involves risk, but he's also very methodical about it."