US Coast Guard Confirms Death Of All 5 People On Board Titanic Missing Submarine

The US Coast Guard has confirmed that the submersible bound for the Titanic, which had gone missing on Sunday, met a devastating fate.

US Coast Guard Rear, Admiral John Mauger, who announced the development on Thursday after days of intensive search efforts, said the vessel experienced a “catastrophic implosion,” resulting in the death of all the five people on board.

Shedding light on the extent of the incident, Mauger said the debris, including the tail cone, was discovered approximately 1,600 feet away from the bow of the Titanic.

He emphasized on the challenges of the deep-sea environment, stressing that the wreckage aligns with a catastrophic implosion.

“This is an incredibly unforgiving environment down there on the sea floor and the debris is consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel,” Mauger, the First Coast Guard District commander, told reporters.

Mauger, who revealed that an immediate notification was provided to the victims’ families, expressed his sympathy, acknowledging the heart-wrenching experience they must be going through.

“The families were immediately notified. I can only imagine what this has been like for them and I hope that this discovery provides some solace during this difficult time,” he said.

Missing Titanic Submersible

The ill-fated Titan embarked on its descent on June 18, with the aim of exploring the wreckage of the Titanic, resting 13,000 feet below sea level in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Equipped with an estimated 96 hours of life support, the expedition promised participants “a chance to step outside of everyday life and discover something truly extraordinary”

Each participant had paid $250,000, as indicated on an archived version of OceanGate’s website.

However, approximately one hour and 45 minutes into the dive, communication with the mother ship was lost, and the submersible failed to resurface as expected. Since then, no further contact has been established.

Relatives and social media posts have identified the individuals aboard the Titan as Rush, the CEO and founder of OceanGate; Harding, a British businessman; Pakistani billionaire Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood; and Nargeolet, a French diver.

Official confirmation of the names has not been made public.

Just before a scheduled news conference, OceanGate Expeditions, the company operating the submersible, issued a statement expressing their belief that the five men on board had tragically lost their lives.

The statement mourned the explorers’ deaths, highlighting their adventurous spirit and commitment to ocean exploration and conservation.

“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.”

Earlier on Thursday, the US Coast Guard reported the discovery of a debris field near the Titanic, believed to be remnants of the external body of the submersible.

The debris was found on the ocean floor, approximately 500 meters from the bow of the Titanic.

The Coast Guard intends to hold a press briefing later in the day to “discuss findings from the Horizon Arctic’s ROV on the sea floor near the Titanic.”

Pelagic Research Services, whose remote-operated vehicle conducted the initial search, confirmed the identification of the debris field.

This tragic incident intensifies the ongoing fascination with the Titanic’s wreckage, even after more than a century since the ship’s ill-fated maiden voyage claimed the lives of over 1,500 people.

KanyiDaily had also reported how a major search was launched for a Malaysian Airlines jet with 239 people on board that is feared to have crashed after it lost contact flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.