Tour company Oceangate has released a statement confirming that five people who were aboard their submersible have died.
The titan launched early Sunday morning to tour Titanic wreckage with five passengers on board. Canadian research vessel, lost contact with the submersible about an hour and 45 minutes after launch. OceanGate reported The Titan missing on Sunday evening, triggering a massive international search effort.
"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. 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," said OceanGate in a statement.
Earlier in the week, Canadian search planes reported hearing undersea noises. It remains unclear what these noises were, and authorities have cautioned they may not have been related to the Titan.
Today, US Coast Guard Rear Adm. John Mauger said The Titanic-bound submersible that went missing on Sunday with five people on board suffered a “catastrophic implosion,” killing everyone on board.
The US Coast Guard announced that a debris field was found near the Titanic with debris consistent with the Titan submersible confirming fears of an implosion.
It has been confirmed that the missing craft had succumbed to the immense pressures at the depth of where the most famous shipwreck rests on the Atlantic Ocean floor. IT is still to be confirmed at what depth the tragedy took place.
officials had estimated the five passengers could run out of air just before 7:10 a.m. ET today, and the location of the missing vessel had remained a mystery even as the search intensified.
The desperate search for the missing Titan has ended in tragedy after debris from the submersible was found and its five occupants were presumed dead.
US Coast Guard has shared that the bodies of the deceased may never be recovered.
