A "landing frame and cover" of the missing Titanic tourist submersible have been found, according to reports.
David Mearns, a UK-based marine scientist and oceanographer who specialises in searching for shipwrecks, and who is a friend of British billionaire Hamish Harding who is aboard the missing craft, told Sky News and the BBC the debris is from Titan.
Mr Mearns told Sky News he had been contacted by the president of The Explorers Club, which Mr Harding belongs to, and said: “It was a landing frame and a rear cover from the submersible.”
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The US Coast Guard said it was not commenting on what the debris consisted of. Titan lost communication with tour operators on Sunday while about 435 miles south of St John's, Newfoundland, during a voyage to the Titanic shipwreck off the coast of Canada.
As of Wednesday afternoon it was thought just 20 hours of oxygen remained in the vessel, meaning it would run out at some point on Thursday morning - potentially before 12pm.
The 6.7m (22ft)-long OceanGate Expeditions vessel, which has British billionaire adventurer Mr Harding on board, reportedly had a 96-hour oxygen supply in case of emergencies.
Also in the undersea craft are UK-based businessman Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman Dawood, and OceanGate's chief executive and founder Stockton Rush, reportedly with French submersible pilot Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
The US coast guard has been leading an international rescue effort which was stepped up after underwater noises were heard on Tuesday and again on Wednesday, although experts have been unable to determine the cause of the sound.
