U.S. coast guard says search for missing submersible will continue through the night

The search for a small submersible that was heading to the site of the wreck of the Titanic is continuing on Monday, with additional resources being brought in to help.

The company behind the mission — OceanGate Expeditions — says it is "exploring and mobilizing all options to bring the crew back safely."

The submersible was reported missing somewhere around 370 nautical miles — or 685 kilometres — off the coast of Newfoundland while on a diving mission to the legendary wreckage.

Five people are confirmed to be onboard the submersible, according to the U.S. coast guard, which held a news conference in Boston shortly after 4:30 EST.

"Our entire focus is on the crew members in the submersible and their families," OceanGate wrote in a statement earlier on Monday. 

The submersible was reported missing after it was overdue by a couple of hours on Sunday evening, according to Chief Mi'sel Joe, head of the Mi'kmaq band that owns the Polar Prince, the ship that launched it.

Another submersible is being flown in from the United States to join the search, said Joe.

"Your mind wanders to what could have happened, but we just don't know," Joe said. "We just pray that everyone is OK."

Larry Daley, a St. John's-based diver who made the trip to the Titanic 20 years ago, told CBC News he knows one of the people on the expedition — French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet.

Nargeolet spent 25 years in the French navy, is a legend of deep sea diving and worked with Daley on his first Titanic dive.

The London Telegraph is reporting Hamish Harding, a British businessman and explorer, is also part of the diving team.

"My thoughts and prayers are with everyone … all the people in the sub and the people that are out there looking," Daley said Monday afternoon. "I'm very optimistic that this will come to a very happy ending, and I'm hopeful that it will."

Submersible tours are offered by OceanGate Expeditions, a U.S.-based company with operations in Newfoundland. The tours cost about $250,000 for a 3,800-metre dive down to the wreckage.

Those tours are a series of five eight-day missions to the Titanic with the money raised from tourists going toward Titanic research. Posts on social media show the ship launched from St. John's, N.L. last week.