Eerie audio from Titanic sub disaster released

A haunting* new clip has been released capturing a mysterious knocking sound beneath the Atlantic Ocean* that gave false hope* that the Titan submersible* and its occupants* could be rescued.

Five people were killed in the June 18 disaster, including OceanGate’s* chief executive officer Stockton Rush and four of his company’s paying passengers.

After the crew lost contact with its mothership on a journey to the Titanic wreck, reports on the second day of the frantic* search said that banging noises were reverberating* in the depths at 30-minute intervals.

In an upcoming British documentary from Channel 5, The Titan Sub Disaster: Minute by Minute, audio is played to the public for the first time, which sounds like a person “knocking” against metal.

The eerie* sound raised hope throughout the search that someone was alive and trying to send a message.

But it was later determined that the noise couldn’t have been the passengers and crew, as they died instantly in the catastrophic implosion* the sub suffered two hours into its voyage*. It’s not clear, however, what the knocking actually was.

The documentary, which records the rescue attempt, captures searchers listening to the noise at the time and hoping it might be the lost mariners*.

“It could be somebody knocking. The symmetry* between those knockings is very unusual,” former navy submarine Captain Ryan Ramsey said in the documentary.

“It’s rhythmic, it’s like somebody is making that sound, and the fact that it is repeated is really unusual.”

The noises were first pinged* at around 11.30pm June 20, two days after the underwater craft lost contact, with the US navy confirming that it had detected the sound the next morning as well.

Many had speculated* that the “knocking” sound was one of the five passengers aboard the Titan submersible* banging against its walls to try to signal their location to the search party.

However, officials* suggested that the sounds could have also been caused by the ocean or by other ships in the area.

It was received as a sign of hope for the families that their loved ones were still alive in the failed OceanGate expedition.

The hopes, however, were tragically shattered when the search team reached the ocean floor and found the debris* of the Titan sub about 487m from the bow of the Titanic shipwreck.

Ten days after the Titan sub had vanished on June 18, the Coast Guard* announced that “presumed* human remains” had been located in the wreckage of the sub*.

OceanGate announced an end of deep-sea expeditions to the wreckage of the Titanic after a catastrophic implosion killed Mr Rush along with British adventurer Hamish Harding, 58; French veteran Titanic explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77; British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his 19-year-old son Suleman.

Mr Rush, who was piloting the submersible, had been the subject of scrutiny* for allegedly* ignoring major safety concerns regarding his vessel and its tourist voyages to the Titanic.

Officials are still investigating the evidence recovered from its recovery missions* ahead of an anticipated public hearing* on the incident.

GLOSSARY

• haunting: something that is spooky or eerie
• Atlantic Ocean: the body of water between North and South America to the west and Europe and Africa to the east
• false hope: feeling optimistic or encouraged based on something that turns out to be untrue
• submersible: a type of underwater vehicle
• occupants: people who are in or on something, like a vehicle or building
• OceanGate: a company specialising in deep-sea exploration, particularly known for its involvement in Titanic wreck exploration and tourist voyages
• frantic: very hurried or chaotic
• reverberating: echoing or vibrating
• eerie: strange or frightening in a mysterious way
• implosion: a violent collapse inward
• voyage: a long journey, especially by sea or in space
• mariners: people who navigate or work on ships
• symmetry: a balanced or harmonious arrangement or similarity
• submarine: a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater
• pinged: to make a short, high-pitched sound
• speculated: guessed or wondered about something without having all the facts
• officials: people in positions of authority
• presumed: believed or assumed to be the case without proof
• debris: scattered fragments, typically of something wrecked or destroyed
• Coast Guard: a maritime security and law enforcement agency
• sub: short version of submarine
• scrutiny: close examination or careful observation of something
• allegedly: something is claimed or stated to be true, but without proof or confirmation
• public hearing: formal meeting where evidence and arguments are presented to determine a course of action
• recovery missions: efforts to retrieve something lost or damaged, in this case, the remains of the submersible and its occupants

EXTRA READING

Sad end in search for missing Titanic sub

Titanic wreckage in ocean floor close-up

Titanic find was part of top-secret war mission

QUICK QUIZ

1. What caused the mysterious knocking sound beneath the Atlantic Ocean?
2. How did the knocking sound impact the search efforts for the Titan submersible and its occupants?
3. Who were the individuals aboard the Titan submersible during the tragic incident?
4. What was the fate of the Titan submersible, and where was it found?
5. What actions did OceanGate take following the catastrophic implosion of the submersible?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. How?
Officials have suggested that the knocking sound may have been caused by the ocean. How do you think the ocean could create these sounds? Write as many ideas as you can think of.

Time: allow at least 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
What is it so difficult and dangerous to try to reach the bottom of the ocean? Brainstorm as many ideas as you can and write them down. Then use your research skills to check your ideas and add to your list.

Time: allow at least 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science

VCOP ACTIVITY
Opener up-level it
Make a list of all the openers in the article. Pick three that repeat and see if you can replace them with another word, or shuffle the order of the sentence to bring a new opener to the front.

Don’t forget to re-read the sentence to make sure it still makes sense, and that it actually sounds better.