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Debris Field Discovered Near Sub's Last Location Near "Titanic"; Deep Underwater Rescues Are Complicated, Dangerous & Deep Sea Makes It Harder; Biden & Indian P.M. Hold News Conference. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired June 22, 2023 - 13:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:30:21]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: Major news in the last hour in the search for the missing submersible with those five people on board. The U.S. Coast Guard says it has found a debris field near the search area.

As we work to find out more details about what exactly that debris is, we do know that deep underwater rescues have happened in the past, though at far more shallow depths than where this was. The deepest off the coast of Ireland.

Our Tom Foreman has been tracking this and with us here now.

The depth of the "Titanic" here at 12,500 feet, about two and a half miles down. There have been rescues before but nothing near that depth.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Nothing even close to this. The truth is there aren't that many rescues attempted underwater like this because you don't run into these circumstances that often. Let alone, at this depth.

Every one is unique. Every one has real challenges involved.

SCIUTTO: Are there any pieces of experience that we could gain knowledge from based on past attempted rescues that could have factored into this?

FOREMAN: There are pieces, yes. And a lot of different people would have different parts of those pieces, parts of that equation.

Now bear and mind, as you and I were noting just a minute ago, right now, you're in this strange two-track world where you're waiting to find out what the debris is. Does that tell us the search is over, tragically, in its own way?

But in the meantime, everyone else has to go forward with all of those pieces of information and say we must assume that they're still down there, that there is still a rescue to be affected here.

The simple truth is, when these things come along, you have to bring all the bits of expertise together from the examples you have and see if you can make them work. And as we found looking at this a little bit deeper, that's a complex equation.

Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FOREMAN (voice-over): Racing time, the elements and an ocean of unknowns, those trying to find the "Titan" face dwindling odds of success.

Underwater rescues are inherently complicated, dangerous. And the deep sea makes it all harder.

Author Stephen McGinty knows.

STEPHEN MCGINTY, AUTHOR: It's hard to imagine, two miles of water above you, the immense darkness, no natural light. And the weight of that, the crushing weight, crushing weight. You're operating in pitch darkness at a depth that's many will feel.

FOREMAN: His book, "The Dive," is about the deepest ocean rescue to date. In the early 1970s, the "Pisces III" sank nearly 1,600 feet below the surface while laying an undersea phone cable off the sea of Ireland.

For three days, ships, submarines and robotic vessels struggled to get lines attached and haul up the submersible with its two experienced sailors. Finally, success.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Was there a stage when you began to wonder whether you would get out?

ROGER MALLINSON, RESCUED SUBMARINER: Not at all. We had about a day's supply left for our life support and we knew what was going on. We could talk to the surface all the time. So there was no problem at all.

FOREMAN: Not exactly. Like the "Titan," the "Pisces" had limited air. Just enough for 72 hours. The two men extended it by lying still and not talking. When they finally emerged after 84 hours, they had enough for only 12 minutes more.

So how different is the "Titan's" predicament? The "Pisces" was located quickly 120 miles off shore. The "Titan" is still missing more than 400 miles from land.

The "Pieces" had steady communications. No one has spoken with the "Titan" since it vanished.

The "Titan" is in much deeper water. And yet, even when the "Pieces" was pulled up, the men inside were terribly battered.

MCGINTY: They thought they were going to be smashed unconscious. And said the sub was just rattling and rolling and spinning. At one point, they begged for the lift to stop. FOREMAN: There have been other undersea rescue attempts. In 1939, when

the "USS Squalus" ship sank off the east coast in less than 250 feet of water, 26 men drowned, 33 were saved.

In 2000, when the Russian sub "Kursk" suffered a pair of onboard explosions in the Barents Sea, despite early hopes for survivors, the entire crew of 118 perished.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOREMAN: So you see the puzzle right there. There are only a number of instances to look at. They are all so unique.

[13:34:57]

If you're going to be involved in a rescue like this, you have to look at what history teaches you. And at the same time, you have to rewrite the book on the spot to deal with the circumstances as you see them.

SCIUTTO: That relates to the rescue. What about safety protocols, safety measures and equipment on this particular submarine? Is there something it should have had to make --

FOREMAN: Well --

SCIUTTO: -- to make survival more likely?

FOREMAN: Well, that is going to be absolutely the discussion in the investigation, which has to happen no matter what happens. You rescue these people, you don't find them, it is tragic, i's heroic, whatever it is, that has to happen.

And I think a lot of questions are going to be asked about their ability to communicate.

(CROSSTALK)

SCIUTTO: -- back-up communications. There was one means. There was no fail safe.

FOREMAN: Right, exactly. And in many, many, many engineering circumstances like this, one of the whole notions is you have to have a back-up and a back-up to the back-up to make sure you have ways of communications.

A way to get out by themselves instead of being bolted in where they can't get out.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

FOREMAN: And other redundancies of survival in there, including any kind of tracking mechanism that would make it easier to know where they are --

(CROSSTALK)

FOREMAN: -- and if they came to the surface. There's so many things. And we really don't know a lot about this vessel.

SCIUTTO: I thought about it the other day. I mean, boats, for instance, they go out with distress transponders. But a way to send a signal to make it easier for folks to find you so they're not just looking out windows with binoculars.

FOREMAN: You have to do this. You have to do this.

I mean, the simple truth is, if -- I always say to people, do you want to know how hard this is? The next time you take a flight and you go over water, look down and try to spot anything there when you know it's there and it is incredibly hard to do.

When you have something as vast as the ocean, you have this, on the surface of the ocean or below the ocean where you get into a three- dimensional space --

SCIUTTO: Yes.

FOREMAN: -- it is just unbelievably hard. And all of these rovers they're sending down there.

The fact that they found anything at all -- we're waiting to find out what that is -- I am super impressed with that. Because this is very hard to do.

Imagine, right now, if I gave you a drone, and I said, over Washington, D.C., fly it over Washington, D.C., and I want to you find one particular car out there.

(CROSSTALK)

SCIUTTO: And do so two and a half miles up.

(CROSSTALK)

FOREMAN: Right. Incredibly hard to do. I mean, the work out here is heroic right now but it is unprecedented. And I cannot stress enough, these depths are out of this world.

And we keep showing pictures because we have to show pictures. If we wanted to show what is actually going on, where we think this thing is, every screen would be completely black because you don't see anything unless it will be by sonar images or something that gets really close.

SCIUTTO: Yes, 3,500 feet down or so, no light.

Tom Foreman, thank you so much.

SCIUTTO: So much more to learn at this hour. Again, at the top of the 3:00 Eastern hour, we will have an update from the Coast Guard in a press conference following this news that, just a short time ago, searchers have found a debris field in the search area.

Lots of questions to be answered. We'll do our best to answer them. Please stay with us.

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[13:42:34]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: An update on our breaking news. The U.S. Coast Guard says a debris field has been discovered on the sea floor near the "Titanic" wreckage.

Remember, that was the destination for a missing tourist submersible that was spotted by a remote-operating vessel. We'll get an update from the U.S. Coast Guard at about 3:00 Eastern.

Meantime, we're hearing more from the friends and family of the "Titan's" passengers.

I want to go to CNN's Paula Newton live in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Paula, talk about the finding of the debris field and what we've heard, if anything, from the loved ones of those on board.

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, significant, obviously, that they have found that.

I will say, we have a later time than we've had in recent days. And officials wanted to make sure, I know, from Canadian officials, the U.S. Coast Guard and Canadian officials wanted to make sure that they, through official channels, spoke to the families first before they went public with any information they have.

And I want to caution, we don't know what exactly the U.S. Coast Guard will disclose.

Obviously, absolutely agonizing hours and days for the friends and family of the five on board.

Again, comforted by the fact that two experts, P.H. Nargeolet, the legendary explorer from France, and obviously, the CEO, Stockton, who was there on the submersible and built it from scratch and knows how it works.

They held on to hope especially because of the banging noises, so- called banging. They didn't know exactly what they were. The U.S. Navy had determined that, right now, they were inconclusive as to what they were.

They were hanging on to hope as they got each and every piece of information from U.S. officials.

Right now, they know what exactly has happened as the rest of us wait for an update.

The other thing I want to point out, though, is that --

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: Paula, I'm going to have to cut you off for a moment.

Because we have news directly from the White House right now. President Biden and Prime Minister Modi of India are holding a joint press conference. Let's listen in.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: -- 200 American-made Boeing aircraft with Air India announcing this year.

And with this visit, Indian firms are announcing more than $2 billion, more than $2 billion in new investments in manufacturing, solar, in Colorado, steel in Ohio, and optic fiber in South Carolina, and much more. Further proof that America's manufacturing is back.

[13:45:09]

We're expanding educational exchanges for our students, building on the record, 125,000 student visas for Indians to study in the United States we issued last year, and opening new consulates that will make it easier for our people to travel, work, and collaborate together.

On issues that matter most, and that will define the future, our nations look to one another, including on critical regional and global issues.

Today, we also talked about our shared efforts to mitigate humanitarian tragedies unleashed by Russia's brutal war in Ukraine and to defend the core principles with U.N. charter's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

We discussed our work through the Quad and how India and the United States, together with Australia and Japan, can ensure the vital Indo- Pacific region remains free, open, prosperous and secure.

Through our new I2U2 grouping, with Israel and the UAE, we're building regional connections to the Middle East and experienced science-based solutions to global challenges, like food security and clean energy.

And this year, under India's leadership at the G-20, we're putting sustainable development at the center of the agenda.

We're delivering meaningful action on low- and middle-income nations, including multilateral development bank reform, debt relief and building resilient and equitable health systems.

The bottom line is simple. We want people everywhere to have the opportunity to live in dignity.

And let me close with this. Indians and Americans are both peoples who innovate, create, turn obstacles into opportunities, who find strength in community and family.

And who cherish freedom and celebrate the democratic values of human rights, which face challenges around the world and in each of our countries but which remain so vital to the success of each of our nations, press freedom, religious freedom, tolerance, diversity. India now is the most populous country in the world. It is a democracy

and we understand that it is the brilliance and the backbone of a people as diverse and talents and traditions that's make us strong as a nation. It is democracies that do that.

We see it so clearly here in the United States where a vibrant community of more than four million strong contributes every single day to the writing of the future of our nation.

Indian-Americans of every background and faith representing the full diversity of India are pursuing their American dream while maintaining deep connections to their Indian heritage and family. That, that makes us all stronger.

That is a cornerstone of this sense of partnership between India and the United States. And that is why I know the friendship between our nations will only grow as we face the future together.

Mr. Prime minister, the floor is yours.

(APPLAUSE)

NARENDRA MODI, INDIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translation): Your Excellency, President Biden, delegates of both countries, friends from the media, (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

First of all, I thank President Biden for his warm words and for his positive views on India-America relations.

Friends, today is a day that has special importance in the history of India-America relations. Our discussions today and the important decisions we have taken have added a new chapter to our comprehensive and global strategic partnership. They have given it a new direction and a new energy.

Friends, our trade and investment partnership between India and America is important. Not only for our two countries, but for the global economy as well.

[13:50:02]

Today, America is India's biggest trade partner. We have decided to resolve long-pending trade-related issues and make a new beginning.

The initiative for critical and emerging technologies I set has emerged as an important framework for our cooperation.

By increasing our cooperation in fields such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors space, quantum and telecom, we are creating a strong and futuristic partnership.

The decision taken by American companies, such as Micron, Google and Applied Materials to invest in India symbolizes this futuristic partnership.

During this journey, I also had the opportunity to meet some other American CEOs. And in my discussions with them, I could feel their enthusiasm and their positive views about India.

We both agree that to make a strategic technology partnership meaningful, it is very important that governments, businesses and academic institutions come together.

In order to implement India and America's shared vision on clean energy transition, we have taken several important initiatives. These cover areas such as green hydrogen, wind, energy, battery storage and carbon capture.

We have also decided that in the midst of global uncertainties, India and America will, as trusted partners, create reliable, secure and resilient global supply chains. And value chains as well.

The close defense cooperation between India and America symbolizes mutual trust and shared strategic priorities.

Moving away from the old buyer/seller relationship we had earlier, we have transitioned today to a relationship involving transfer of technology, code development and co-production.

The decision taken by General Electric to manufacture engines in India through transfer of technology is a landmark agreement. This also opens up new job opportunities in both countries. This will give our defense cooperation a new character in the times to come.

The defense industries and start-ups of both countries are important partners in this cooperation. Bringing them together is the key objective of our defense industrial road map.

In the area of space, science and technologies, we have had longstanding cooperation.

By taking the decision to join the Artemis Accords, we have taken a big leap forward in our space cooperation. In fact, in short, for India and America partnership, even this, even the sky is not the limit.

Friends, the most important pillar of our relations is our people-to- people (INAUDIBLE). More than four million people of Indian origin today make significant contribution to the progress of America.

In fact, just this morning, a large number of Indians that gathered at the White House demonstrates that the Indian-Americans, in fact, are the real strength behind our relations.

[13:55:02]

In order to further deepen these relations, we welcome America's decision to open consulates in India. Similarly, we will also open a new Indian consulate in Seattle.

Friends, in our meeting today, we discussed several regional and global issues. Peace and security in the Indo-Pacific is our common priority. We agree that the development and success of this region is important for the entire world. We shared our views to enhance coordination with all countries in this

region along with our co-partners.

India and America stand shoulder to shoulder in the fight against terrorism and fundamentalism. We are in agreement that concrete actions are needed in order to end cross-border terrorism.

The Covid pandemic and the Ukraine conflict have afflicted the countries of the Global South, in particular. We believe that in order to resolve these problems, it is absolutely imperative for all countries to unite.

From the very beginning of the events in Ukraine, India has laid emphasis on resolution of dispute through dialogue and diplomacy. We are completely ready to contribute in any way we can to restore peace.

Under India's G-20 presidency, we are laying emphasis on the spirit of one earth, one family, one future. We are lending a voice to the priorities of the Global South.

I thank President Biden that he has expressed support to my proposal of giving the African Union full membership of the G-20.

Friends, the core philosophy of all of our collective efforts is to strengthen democracy and democratic values and Democratic order. Two of the world's largest democracies, India and America, can together make an important contribution to global peace, stability and prosperity.

I'm confident that based on these values, we will be able to fulfill the expectations and aspirations of not only the people of our two countries but of the entire world.

President Biden, thank you for the meaningful discussion today.

This year, during the G-20 summit, we are looking forward to welcoming you. This is myself and all of India is looking forward to welcoming you to India.

And as the president has said, I do have another engagement after this. I need to address the Congress. So I do not want to take any more time, and I am going to stop here.

But once again, President Biden, thank you very much.

(APPLAUSE)

BIDEN: Well, Congress is actually waiting-- anxiously waiting.

I'll call on two questioners. Sabrina from "Wall Street Journal" and Kumar from the "Trust of India."

And, Sabrina, you first.

SABRINA SIDDIQUI, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, "WALL STREET JOURNAL": Thank you, Mr. President. I have a question for the prime minister, but first, a two-part

question for you.

Your comments at a fundraiser this week appeared to be the first time in recent memory that a sitting U.S. president has called a Chinese leader a dictator.

Did those comments about President Xi undermine or complicate the progress your administration has made in maintaining a relationship with China?

And secondly, on India, as you raise broader issues of human rights and democracy, what is your message to those, including some members of your own party who say that your administration is overlooking the targeting of religious minorities and a crackdown in Prime Minister Modi's country?

[13:59:57]

BIDEN: The answer to your first question is no. You know, when we're talking to our allies and partners around the world, and including India, we let the idea of my choosing in avoiding saying what I think is the facts with regard to the relationship with India -- with China is just not something I'm going to change very much.