RESCUE ROBOT IS LAST CHANCE OF SURVIVAL

HOPES of saving the five men on board the Titanic tourist sub rest on a "robot" rescue vessel racing to the scene.

- Cyril Dixon

Despite their air being due to run out in hours, optimism rose yesterday after reports of "banging" noises from the black depths of the Atlantic. Rescuers using planes, ships and unmanned diving craft are scouring a huge area of ocean off Newfoundland for 21ft tourist craft Titan.

Marine experts say the best hope of saving the five adventurers including Britons Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood and son Suleman is the French submersible Victor 6000.

The craft can go deeper than all other available explorer vessels, up to 20,000ft, in the desperate hunt for the Titan, which has been missing since Sunday evening when it headed to the wrecked liner 13,000ft down.

The French survey ship Atalante was due to arrive on site with the Victor 6000 last night, leaving little time to locate and retrieve the sub and its passengers.

More underwater "banging" was picked up by sonar yesterday and searchers insisted they had not given up hope.

US Coast Guard Captain Jamie Frederick said they had to remain optimistic, and remotely operated vehicles searching underwater to a depth of two-and-a-half miles were following up the sounds.

Capt Frederick added: "It is still not clear what the sounds, which were detected over two days, were. When you're in the middle of a search and rescue case, you always have hope, that's why we're doing what we do. The good news is we're searching in the area where the noises were.