Coast Guard States Five Titanic Explorers Are Lost As Sub Had ‘Catastrophic Implosion’
All of the lives aboard the OceanGate submersible are believed to be lost as a debris field has been discovered 1600 feet away from the Titanic. The submersible vehicle is believed to have been a “catastrophic implosion.”
“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,” OceanGate said in a statement.
“These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans,” the statement continued. “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.”
The submersible lost contact an hour and 45 minutes after submerging on Sunday morning with a 96-hour oxygen supply. According to ABC News, that air supply was set to expire Thursday morning, and the ship would rise back to the surface in case of emergency. The specific time of the implosion is currently undetermined.
American, Canadian, and French ROVs were searching the sea floor for the sub and its occupants. On June 21, unidentified noise was detected on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, however Rear Admiral of the U.S. Coast Guard stated the portion of the ocean where the debris field is located is remote, and the sound was not picked up by officials.
The vessel, named the Titan, owned and operated by OceanGate Expeditions was remote-operated and could travl 4,000 meters (13,123 feet) deep and weighted 23,000 pounds. Inside the sub was the company’s founder and CEO, Stockton Rush. The company had its first venture in 2018, traveling 4,000 meters. In 2023, OceanGate began to sell tickets for going to view the Titanic, which the tragic trip costing $250,000 a ticket.
The Titan was not approved or certified by any proper regulatory group, and a 2018 letter highlighted the risks of the sub. Sub-experts wrote a letter highlighting potential “catastrophic” problems, which could lead to “serious consequences for everyone in the industry.”
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