The first haunting image of the Titan submersible wreck has been released, showcasing the vessel resting at the bottom of the ocean after the tragic loss of its five passengers. This photograph highlights a large section of the upright hull, partially covered by sand on the cold Atlantic Ocean floor. The U.S. Coast Guard shared this image, along with additional communications and evidence, on September 16 during a thorough hearing investigating the cause of the Titan’s implosion in June 2023.
As the two-week hearing commenced, the U.S. Coast Guard retraced the Titan’s ill-fated journey, which began its dive into the frigid Atlantic at 9:17 a.m. in an attempt to explore the Titanic wreck. Investigators disclosed some of the final communications between the Titan and its support crew aboard the Polar Prince, which was chartered by OceanGate, the company responsible for the Titan’s design and operation.
Onboard were Stockton Rush, the pilot and co-founder of OceanGate; co-pilot Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a Titanic expert; and three tourists: Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, along with British adventurer Hamish Harding. Throughout its expedition, the Titan communicated with the Polar Prince via text messages.
Approximately 40 minutes into the dive, support staff indicated they needed “better comms” from the submersible, which had temporarily lost its system settings. The last message sent by the Titan, believed to be from Nargeolet, stated, “All good here.” Communication soon became sporadic, with the final message sent at 10:47 a.m., indicating that it had “dropped two wts” (weights). Shortly after, the Polar Prince lost tracking of the Titan.
As search efforts began in the icy waters southeast of Newfoundland, hopes for rescuing the passengers quickly transitioned to recovery operations. During the hearing, Tony Nissen, former engineering director of OceanGate, revealed that the Titan had been struck by lightning in 2018, potentially compromising its hull. He shared that he had previously halted a planned dive to the Titanic due to safety concerns and was later dismissed from his position for voicing those concerns.
Coast Guard officials noted that the Titan had been exposed to environmental elements while in storage for seven months in 2022 and 2023 and that its hull had never undergone third-party review. Over 12,000 feet underwater, remnants of the Titan, including its severed tail cone, can be seen buried in the Atlantic sand. The U.S. Coast Guard has released images from a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that provide “conclusive evidence” of a catastrophic implosion. The ongoing hearing aims to uncover the facts surrounding this tragic event.
Search efforts later turned into recovery operations, leading to the discovery of human remains. The hearing aims to uncover the details surrounding the Titan’s tragic implosion.
Newly released video shows the Titan submersible’s tail cone in full detail. This remotely operated vehicle footage expands on the exhibit image released yesterday to provide clearer context and transparency. #TitanMBI Download it here: https://t.co/lz0nunnokj pic.twitter.com/AbHtpxXfwr
— USCG MaritimeCommons (@maritimecommons) September 17, 2024