Missing Titanic submersible hits critical 96-hour point that experts say it runs out of oxygen

The missing OceanGate submersible, Titan, has been underwater for 96 hours as of Thursday morning, hitting the critical point where experts have said it will run out of oxygen for its five passengers.

The U.S. Coast Guard is still continuing its search mission and said Thursday that a robot-equipped French vessel is being prepared to enter the water. A Canadian vessel also deployed a robot to the water that reached the seafloor Thursday and began searching for the missing submersible, officials said. 

The Coast Guard said Wednesday that the oxygen supply on the Titan will run out at 7:08 a.m. ET Thursday after the craft began its descent underwater Sunday, per NBC News.

Rescuers still held onto hope Wednesday after noises were heard in the search. 

The five passengers onboard include British businessman Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman Dawood, British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding, OceanGate CEO and founder Stockton Rush and French submersible pilot Paul-Henri Nargeolet.

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.