Died 487 meters from the wreck of the Titanic
The US Coast Guard confirmed through a spokesman that the Titan submarine crew did not survive. The update was reported by Sky News and echoed by other outlets as the investigation progressed.
Following consultations with joint command experts, officials stated that the wreckage matched components of the submersible chamber. On behalf of the Coast Guard and the entire joint operation, condolences were extended to the families of the deceased. The cause of death was attributed to an explosion on the vessel, with water pressure at approximately 487 meters from the Titanic wreck contributing to a catastrophic failure that rendered the craft inoperable. At present, experts noted that predicting the recovery of human remains is unlikely given the harsh conditions at the ocean floor.
Sergei Mukhametov, a senior lecturer in Oceanology at the Moscow State University, noted fragments of the Titan bath indicate the apparatus collapsed under stress, suggesting the crew died instantly. This assessment aligns with the timeline suggesting events likely occurred on Sunday, June 18, as fragments were recovered from the vessel’s remains.
five wrecks
Experts recovered five pieces from the bathyscaphe. The Coast Guard indicated that a remote-controlled vehicle located the tail cone roughly 200 meters from the Titanic’s bow, with additional debris found about 500 meters away. Among the discoveries were the landing frame and the back cover of the submersible.
Officials emphasized that the absence of the outer skin and supporting frame points to a severe structural failure. The absence of any human remains in the recovered pieces was noted, underscoring the difficulty of locating bodies on the seabed. The remote search operation continues to seek additional clues from the wreckage and surrounding debris.
The main body of the device had not yet been located at the time of reporting, and the search teams acknowledged the heavy challenge of identifying passenger remains on the ocean floor. The focus remained on locating any residual fragments and the propulsion system, while ongoing efforts sought to map the seabed for potential signs of the vessel and its occupants.
A lot of people died
Before the Coast Guard briefed the public on June 22, OceanGate Expeditions, the operator of the Titan submersible, had already indicated that all five crew members were presumed dead. Reports from CNN and other outlets around that period reflected the same assessment.
In a statement, OceanGate acknowledged the loss of all five crew members, including the company CEO and prominent figures associated with the mission. The company expressed grief for the lives lost and the impact on families and colleagues connected to the tragedy.
James Cameron, the director of the 1997 film Titanic, commented on the incident, drawing a parallel between the current disaster and the historic shipwreck. He referenced the repeated warnings about dangerous conditions ahead and suggested that ignoring such warnings led to a tragedy with similarities to the earlier maritime disaster. The remarks underscored the shared lesson about risk and decision-making in deep-sea exploration.
Oxygen ended on June 22
The Titan bathyscaphe disappeared from radar in the Atlantic Ocean on June 18 as it traveled toward the Titanic wreck site, shortly after the dive began. Five people were aboard, including the Ocean Gate CEO, Stockton Rush; British billionaire Hamish Harding; Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleiman; and Paul-Henri Narjolet, a veteran submariner and Titanic expert. Initial search efforts encompassed about 20 000 square meters of sea floor, with collaboration from international partners.
Rescuers reported acoustic signals resembling a thump every 30 minutes for several hours on June 21, sparking cautious optimism about a possible acoustic beacon. By the afternoon of June 22, official estimates indicated that the oxygen reserve within the bathyscaphe had been exhausted, signaling an almost complete loss of breathable air and ending any chance of survival inside the vessel. The search and recovery operation persisted with a focus on locating remaining fragments and understanding the sequence of events that led to the submarine’s demise, while authorities continued to assess the broader implications for deep-sea exploration safety.