5 dead after ill-fated Titanic submersible's 'catastrophic implosion'; major pieces of Titan found
By Sunita Iyer | First Published Jun 23, 2023, 12:48 AM ISTThe US Coast Guard on Thursday confirmed that five people onboard the Titanic submersible that went missing on Sunday lost their lives after a 'catastrophic implosion'. Rear Admiral John Mauger confirmed that five major pieces of the Titan were found among the debris.
Days after the OceanGate submersible 'Titan' went missing during its expedition to the Titanic wreckage in the Atlantic Ocean, the US Coast Guard on Thursday confirmed that five major pieces of the vessel were detected amid the debris around the wreck site. Among them, a nose cone, outside the pressure hull, and a larger debris field. According to the US Coast Guard officials, an ROV from the vessel Horizon Artic found the tail cone of the OceanGate vessel approximately 1600ft from the bow of the Titanic wreck.
Rear Admiral John Mauger confirmed that the search team found additional debris, which is consistent with a catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber. They immediately notified families. "The debris field is consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel," Rear Admiral Mauger said in a press conference. "Throughout the search, the coast guard had listening devices in the water, but did not detect any catastrophic failures," he reiterated.
BREAKING: The Coast Guard confirms that a remote operated vehicle discovered key parts of the Titan submersible approximately
1600ft (487.68) from the Titanic on the sea floor.
Rear Admiral John Mauger offers his condolences to the families.https://t.co/V3pkizQFDr
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It is too early to tell what the timing of the implosion was, Read Admiral Mauger told reporters. He said the US Coat Guard had sonar buoys out in the water for 72 hours. Since they had been in place, they had not detected "any catastrophic events," he added.
US Coast Guard officials said the remote operating vehicles (ROVs) operating on the sea floor around the Titanic will remain on the scene. The US Coast Guard added they are still working to develop the details for the timeline involved.
Also read: All 5 people onboard missing Titanic submersible have sadly been lost - OceanGate
It's an "incredibly complex environment" on the sea floor, 2 miles beneath the surface, Rear Admiral John Mauger added. He stated that he cannot confirm whether the US Coast Guard will be able to recover the bodies of the five passengers on board the Titan sub. "This is an incredibly unforgiving environment," he added.
"On behalf of the US Coast Guard and the entire unified command, I offer my deepest condolences to the families. I can only imagine what this has been like for them. Additionally, we have been in close contact with the French and British consuls general to ensure that they are fully apprised and that their concerns are being fully addressed. The outpouring of support during this highly complex search operation has been robust and immensely appreciated," Mauger added.
OceanGates' Titan vessel, which was travelling to the Titanic wreckage off the coast of Canada, lost contact with tour operators on Sunday while it was about 435 miles south of St. John's, Newfoundland. On Sunday afternoon, the most well-known shipwreck in the world was just above the final "ping" of its homing device. 96-hour oxygen support in the Titan vessel is said to have ran out today afternoon.
Also read: 'Landing frame and a rear cover from missing Titanic submersible among the debris'
The US Coast Guard noted that nine vessels are still present at the scene, as the search for more details continues. "We have medical personnel on the scene, we have other technicians on scene, and we will begin to demobilise personnel and vessels from the scene over the course of the next 24 hours," Mauger said. "This is an incredibly difficult and dangerous environment to work in."
A spokesperson for the US Coast Guard later confirmed there are no future press conferences planned following the announcement of today's tragic news.
OceanGate: “We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost.” Special Report is moments away. pic.twitter.com/IumSBMpHM2
— Gio Benitez (@GioBenitez)Earlier today, OceanGate, the company that runs the Titan vessel, released an official statement stating all five passengers onboard the sub have 'sadly been lost'. "We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost," said in an official statement released.
"These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans. Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew," OceanGate added.
"This is an extremely sad time for our dedicated employees who are exhausted and grieving deeply over this loss. The entire OceanGate family is deeply grateful for the countless men and women from multiple organizations of the international community who expedited wide-ranging resources and have worked so very hard on this mission," the statement added.
"We appreciate their commitment to finding these five explorers, and their days and nights of tireless work in support of our crew and their families. This is a very sad time for the entire explorer community, and for each of the family members of those lost at sea. We respectfully ask that the privacy of these families be respected during this most painful time," the statement concluded.
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