Science & Technology

Debris field discovery confirms that the Titan submersible has been lost

By T.K. Randall
June 22, 2023 ·  275 comments

The remains of the sub have been found. Image Credit: OceanGate Earlier today, it was revealed that a remote-operated vehicle that had been searching for the missing submersible and its crew had discovered a 'debris field' within the vicinity of the Titanic wreck.

Now Rear Adm John Mauger, the First Coast Guard District commander, has issued a statement confirming that several major components of the sub, including the tail cone and both ends of the pressure chamber, had been positively identified within the debris.

This is "consistent with a catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber," he added.

It is probable that the sub was destroyed several days ago, most likely at the time at which contact was lost.

"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. 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.

This is an extremely sad time for our dedicated employees who are exhausted and grieving deeply over this loss. The entire OceanGate family is deeply grateful for the countless men and women from multiple organizations of the international community who expedited wide-ranging resources and have worked so very hard on this mission.

We appreciate their commitment to finding these five explorers, and their days and nights of tireless work in support of our crew and their families.

This is a very sad time for the entire explorer community, and for each of the family members of those lost at sea.

We respectfully ask that the privacy of these families be respected during this most painful time."

Source: The Guardian | Comments (275)

Tags: Titan, Submersible