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A rescue operation is under way deep in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean in search of a submarine that carries people to view the wreckage of the Titanic.
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax, Canada, said the vessel was reported overdue at 9.13pm on Sunday (12.13pm Monday AEST), about 700 kilometres south of St John's, Newfoundland.
Lieutenant Commander Len Hickey said a Canadian Coast Guard vessel and military aircraft were assisting the search effort, which was being led by the US Coast Guard in Boston.
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OceanGate Expeditions confirmed the search for its five-person submersible and said its focus was on those aboard the vessel and their families.
"We are exploring and mobilising all options to bring the crew back safely," the company said in a statement to BBC News.
"Our entire focus is on the crewmembers in the submersible and their families."
In 2021, OceanGate Expeditions began what it expected to become an annual voyage to chronicle the deterioration of the iconic ocean liner that struck an iceberg and sank in 1912, killing all but about 700 of the roughly 2200 passengers and crew.
Since the wreckage's discovery in 1985, it has been slowly succumbing to metal-eating bacteria, and some have predicted the ship could vanish in a matter of decades as holes yawn in the hull and sections disintegrate.
The initial group of tourists was funding the expedition by spending anywhere from $US100,000 to $US150,000 ($146,000 to $219,000) apiece.
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