DEBRIS suspected to be parts of a missing submersible, Titan, conveying tourists to the site of the Titanic wreckage, has been found by a rescue team on Thursday, June 22.
According to a tweet by the United States Coast Guard, the debris was found close to the site of the Titanic wreckage.
“A debris field was discovered within the search area by an ROV near the Titanic. Experts within the unified command are evaluating the information,” the U.S. Coast Guard tweeted on Thursday.
Although the tweet did not confirm the debris to be from the submersible, Coast Guard Commander John Mauger said at a press conference that “the debris is consistent with a catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber,” suggesting an implosion.
CNN also reported that the debris field was assessed to be from the external body of the Titan.
Mauger disclosed that a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) discovered the debris about 1,600 feet from the Titanic wreck.
Meanwhile, a statement by the tourist company that operates the submersible, OceanGate Expeditions, noted that they had reasons to believe all passengers aboard the vessel had died.
“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. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew,” the statement read.
The Titan disappeared on Sunday, June 18, less than two hours after it began its descent to the site of the Titanic wreck.
There were five people on board, all male, including British businessman Hamish Harding, 58; British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son Suleman, 18; French explorer Paul-Henry Nargeolet, 77; and Stockton Rush, 61, chief executive of OceanGate.
A joint search was launched by several rescue teams, and underwater sounds detected on Tuesday, June 20, gave many people hope that the tourists were still alive.
The vessel had a 96-hour emergency oxygen supply which was due to run out on Thursday morning.
However, the debris field from the vessel was only found hours after the oxygen deadline had passed.
OceanGate had carried out successful trips to the site of the Titanic wreckage in 2021 and 2022, which costs $250,000 per person.
According to reports, OceanGate had received warnings over the quality of the submersible, which the company ignored.
It is still uncertain when the implosion occurred, according to Mauger, but the debris discovery brings the four-day search for the Titan to an end.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via vopara@icirnigeria.org or @ije_le on Twitter.