Titanic sub missing LIVE: Latest as US Coast Guard issue update and oxygen deadline passes

The US Coast Guard has said the operation to find the missing Titanic submersible is still an active search and rescue.

The update comes amid fears that the oxygen onboard the vessel, which has five people onboard, has now run out - as it only had an emergency supply for 96 hours.

The deep-sea vessel, named 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.

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This means it was expected to rub out at some point on Thursday morning. The 6.7m (22ft)-long OceanGate Expeditions vessel reportedly had a 96-hour oxygen supply in case of emergencies.

Rear Admiral John Mauger, of the US Coast Guard, said: "We continue to keep the crew members and the families in our thoughts as we proceed with this search and rescue while we’re cognisant of the time and we’ve factored in a lot of data and information into the search.

“This is still an active search and rescue at this point and we’re using the equipment that we have on the bottom right now, the remote operated vehicles to expand our search capability, and then also to provide rescue capability as well.”

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Co-founder of OceanGate Guillermo Sohnlein said vessel pilot Stockton Rush is his “co-founder and friend”.

He also said the time window for oxygen supply onboard is larger than the estimated 96 hours.

In the statement, he said: “Today will be a critical day in this