‘Catastrophic Implosion’ Killed All Five People Onboard the Titan
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All five people onboard the submersible are believed to be dead after rescuers found debris “consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber,” Rear Adm. John Mauger, the First Coast Guard District commander, said during a press briefing on Thursday, nearly five days after a desperate search for the vessel and crew.
What was found
- The Coast Guard said that a debris field was discovered near the wreck of the Titanic earlier on Thursday morning.
- The debris was located by a remote-controlled underwater search vehicle (ROV) about 1,600 feet (480m) from the wreckage of the Titanic.
- Five separate pieces were discovered that allowed authorities to confirm they came from the Titan, including a tail cone.
- Rear Adm Mauger gave his condolences and said he did not have an answer on whether or not the bodies of the five men on-board could be recovered.
The search for the crew and hopes that they would’ve been alive while bolted in the submersible, are dashed. It is believed the crew died aboard the 21-foot minivan-sized vessel operated by OceanGate Expeditions on Sunday operated by OceanGate Expeditions.
Attempts are now to recover the debris as researchers investigate why the vessel loss communications and imploded.
The big story
The submersible was never tested and approved for safety but it attempted to reach the Titanic wreckage on Sunday morning, losing contact about an hour and 45 minutes after submerging, believed to have only a 96-hour oxygen supply. That amount of oxygen was predicted to run out on Thursday morning.
