Former Titan submersible passengers share their experiences with vessel as search continues

Authorities expanded rescue efforts as they race to find the missing submersible carrying five passengers on a deepwater quest to explore the wreck site of the Titanic as underwater noises were detected.

Search vessels were redirected Tuesday after "multiple" aircraft detected underwater noises in the area. Navy acoustic analysts were studying the sounds, which were heard again Wednesday, said Capt. Jamie Frederick, the First Coast Guard District response coordinator, in a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

"We don't know what they are," Frederick said. "The good news is, we’re searching in the area where the noises were detected."

Pilot and CEO of OceanGate Stockton Rush and four commercial passengers including British billionaire Hamish Harding, French explorer Paul-Henry Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood and Suleman Dawood, two members of one of Pakistan’s most prominent families were on board Titan, the 22-foot submersible when it lost contact with its support ship Sunday.

The mission, led by OceanGate, is a privately-owned company that runs commercial projects, scientific research and exploration in deep water.

Five vessels, two remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and aircrafts have been searching above and below the ocean’s surface since the submersible went missing, with additional vessels and ROVs expected to arrive Thursday morning, according to a Coast Guard official.

As more information emerges about OceanGate's mission and the inherent dangers, former passengers have begun to share their experiences with Titan.

More: Missing Titanic submersible live updates: Search expands 'exponentially'; more sounds heard

Simpsons writer Mike Reiss: 'You know going in how very dangerous this is'

When did they encounter Titan? Mike Reiss, a writer for "The Simpsons" said he and his wife embarked on their own Titanic expedition with Titan last year, after a friend told them about a guy in Seattle who was building his own sub, Reiss told KIRO 7 Tuesday.

Prior to the trip to the Titanic site, the couple took other dives with the company.  When they heard about a chance to visit the Titanic wreck site, they signed up for it.  They didn’t get a chance to stay long after the submersible reached the site because of unsafe weather conditions

What was their experience on Titan? “It was a real struggle to get to the Titanic. Our time was very, very short because on top of the danger of being two and a half miles down, there was a hurricane coming down at sea level,” said Reiss. “We really had this tight window. You sort of land at the bottom of the ocean and then go ‘all right, where’s the Titanic? We know it’s around here somewhere.'”

As Reiss recalled his own experience in the same submersible 11 months ago, he remembers that they lost communication on every dive they took, which was just one of the problems, Reiss said.

But anyone who boarded the Titan was aware of the risks associated with the voyage.

“Everyone’s hoping and praying. I just go… I know having been in this situation… it’s very difficult. You know, I’m hoping, too. It’s not any bad or reflection on Stockton Rush. It’s his company and he designed it, but it’s just we are all part of this ongoing experiment,” said Reiss.

A look inside the Titan: Missing Titanic submersible: Maps, graphics show last location, depth and design

Titan submersible composed of 'less sophisticated parts,' CBS reporter David Pogue says

When did he encounter Titan? CBS reporter David Pogue boarded the submersible alongside OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush in November for a report about Titan’s underwater expeditions. Described as “MacGyvery” with as much room as a minivan, the submersible relied on  "less sophisticated and jerry-rigged” components to help it run, according to the original CBS report.

"There were parts of it that seemed to me to be less sophisticated than I was guessing. You drive it with a PlayStation video controller... some of the ballasts are old, rusty construction pipes," Pogue told USA TODAY. "There were certain things that looked like cut corners."

What was his experience with the submersible? The Titan did get lost for a few hours on Pogue’s expedition and was unable to find the site of the Titanic wreck during one of the dives, but unlike the current situation crews were able to send short texts to communicate with the submersible even if they did not know where it was.

“This submersible does not have any kind of beacon like that. On my expedition last summer, they did indeed get lost for about 5 hours, and adding such a beacon was discussed,” Pogue tweeted.  “They could still send short texts to the sub, but did not know where it was. It was quiet and very tense, and they shut off the ship’s internet to prevent us from tweeting.”

"I was anticipating a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I got it," Pogue told USA TODAY's "5 Things" podcast.

The expedition has a "safety-conscious culture” as members of the trip went through mandatory daily briefings and were even taught how to put on smoke masks and use fire extinguishers in case of a scenario where there was smoke on the craft, Pogue said.

"Nobody ever said, 'here's what you do if we lose communication and are trapped under the sea,' because it just seems impossibly remote," he said.

ICYMI: Reporter who rode Titanic submersible tells USA TODAY about 'less sophisticated' parts

Friend of British billionaire tells 'Good Morning America' he pulled out of Titanic expedition due to safety concerns

When did he encounter the Titan? Digital marketing tycoon and friend of British billionaire Hamish Harding, Chris Brown told "Good Morning America" he was one of the first people to sign up for the Titanic submersible experience.

"Being a modern-day adventurer interested in pushing the boundaries of our knowledge of places that people go... the Titanic is obviously an iconic wreck," he said. "It's a chance for an expedition, an exploration and adding a bit of science into the situation,” Brown said.

What was his experience on the submersible? Even though Brown ultimately decided not to board the Titan for fear of his safety, he was initially excited and drawn to the voyage because he wanted to see the Titanic wreckage in person.

When asked about his concerns with the safety of the mission, Brown declined to elaborate, saying "the focus right now has to be on trying to rescue these people."

Energy executive says passenger’s ability to survive may come down to passengers staying calm

Chief executive of San Leon Energy and two-time Titan diver Oisin Fanning, said Stockton Rush and Paul-Henri Nargeole would know how to conserve oxygen and make the most of the submersible’s blankets and scrubbers since both men knew it would take several days for a rescue vessel to arrive, the NYT reported Wednesday.

Fanning said the passengers’ ability to stay calm and avoid panicked breathing could be critical to any chances of survival.

When did he encounter the Titan? Fanning made two deep-sea dives on the Titan last summer, the Times reported. The prospect of seeing the Titanic close up made up for the fact that the submersible had not undergone the proper certification process, Fanning said.

What was his experience like? Fanning felt that the thrill he experienced while he toured an area near the wreckage and another that visited the Titanic itself was well worth the cost of the expedition, about $120,000, even if it was not very pleasant.

“You see a lot, a bathtub in one of the rooms, a lamp outside the Sergeant of Arms rooms. “It is not comfortable, you’re in a cigar-like tube, and you’re just sitting on the floor,” taking turns looking out of a small porthole, he said.

Titan expedition is not a 'Disney ride,' but felt completely safe, OceanGate investor tells TODAY

When did he encounter Titan? OceanGate investor, Aaron Newman, says felt completely safe his entire trip aboard Titan in 2021.

"They were a professional crew, they did a lot of training around safety and the backup systems around dropping weights, so I felt very safe. But ... this is not a Disney ride, right? We're going places that very few people have been, and this is inventing things. So there are risks, right? And we know that, but all these people accepted that,” Newman told Today on Wednesday.

What was his experience like? Newman compared his own time on the Titan akin to “going to another planet."

"You're getting in this craft — you're bolted in. It's a tube that's comfortable, but not spacious," he said. "And at the surface, when you first get in, it gets very hot and stuffy and so you're laying down and you have a little packed lunch with you and a little bit of water, but you're planning for the day to be there.

As you descend deeper and deeper into the ocean, the only that light is visible comes from the submersible.

"By the time you hit the bottom, the water down there is below what standard freezing temperature is. That's going to conduct right through that metal, so it was cold when we were at the bottom. You had to layer up — we had wool hats on and were doing everything to stay warm at that bottom,” Newman said.

The five passengers onboard the missing submersible are what Newman considers to be a “good set of people” because they are "people who lived in the edge and loved what they are doing as they calmly do what they can to stay alive."

"Our focus is just hoping for this Hollywood ending to happen. We know the Coast Guard and everybody else is working so hard. And the OceanGate crew is working as hard as they can to possibly find this if anything is out there," he said. "It's promising but there's work to be done, and that's what the focus is."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Titanic submarine passengers share deep sea exploration experiences