The US Coast Guard has confirmed that the five crew members who were aboard the Titan, a missing submersible, died in a “catastrophic implosion”.
When the Titan lost contact with a support ship less than two hours into a 4,000-meter dive to the Titanic shipwreck on Sunday, it was carrying Oceangate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, British billionaire Hamish Harding, and French adventurer Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
Rear Admiral John Mauger, the commander of the First Coast Guard District, reported that on Thursday morning, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) discovered Titan wreckage on the seabed 500 metres from the bow of the Titanic’s wreckage.
Family members were notified that there had been no survivors when the Titan’s debris was examined and determined to be its own. According to Admiral Mauger, it’s possible that the five crew members’ bodies will never be discovered.
“This is an incredibly unforgiving environment down there on the sea floor and the debris is consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel. I can only imagine what this has been like for them and I hope that this discovery provides some solace during this difficult time.”
An OceanGate spokesperson confirmed that the five crew members had “sadly been lost” in a statement to The Independent.
“These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans.
