In a tragic turn of events, the U.S. Coast Guard announced on Thursday that a deep-sea submersible, which was on its way to explore the century-old wreckage of the Titanic, had been discovered in pieces after a “catastrophic implosion.” All five individuals on board the submersible lost their lives, bringing an end to the multinational search efforts that had been ongoing for five days.
The debris field from the submersible, named Titan was located by a robotic diving vehicle deployed from a Canadian vessel. It was found approximately 1,600 feet (488 metres) from the bow of the Titanic, resting 2 1/2 miles (4 km) below the ocean’s surface in a remote area of the North Atlantic. Rear Admiral John Mauger of the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed the discovery.
OceanGate Expeditions’ Titan went missing early Sunday morning after losing communication with its surface support ship. The submersible was approximately an hour and 45 minutes into a two-hour dive to the famous shipwreck. Unfortunately, none of the five men on board the Titan survived, including the company’s CEO and founder, Stockton Rush, who was operating the vessel.
The debris field revealed five significant fragments of the 22-foot (6.7-metre) Titan, including the tail cone and two sections of the pressure hull. The Coast Guard did not mention whether any human remains had been sighted.
OceanGate had already issued a statement acknowledging the absence of survivors before the Coast Guard’s press conference. Alongside Stockton Rush, the other individuals who perished in the tragedy were British billionaire and explorer Hamish Harding (58), Pakistani-born businessman Shahzada Dawood (48), and his 19-year-old son Suleman, both British citizens, and French oceanographer and renowned Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet (77), who had visited the wreck numerous times.
Adding to the sorrow surrounding the incident, James Cameron, the director of the movie “Titanic” and a deep-sea explorer, pointed out flaws in the design of the Titan submersible. Cameron, who has personally dived to the deteriorating wreck multiple times and ventured to the planet’s deepest recesses in his own craft, expressed his disbelief at the presumed loss of five lives during a private ocean exploration.
He stated, “There’ve never been fatalities at this kind of depth and certainly no implosions,” highlighting the unprecedented nature of the tragedy within the realm of private ocean exploration.
Cameron, speaking to the news media, described the events of the past week as a prolonged and nightmarish charade, with discussions revolving around banging noises, oxygen concerns, and other related matters. He went on to express a sense of terrible irony surrounding the loss of the Titan and its crew, drawing a parallel to the tragic sinking of the Titanic in 1912. He highlighted the significance of the connection, emphasising the historical resonance of the event.
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