Remnants of the lost Titan sub have been discovered at the search location, according to a friend of those on board.
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has recently announced the discovery of debris near the Titanic wreckage site, confirming that these remains belong to the long-lost Titan submarine. The debris includes a cover from the aft section, or the rear end, of the Titan submersible, as well as its landing frame. This particular frame is an essential component of the submarine’s design, allowing it to rest securely on a ship deck or the ocean floor.
It has been confirmed by the USCG that the remains belong to Titan Sub, confirming by this that all 5 passengers had died:
- British businessman Hamish Harding;
- Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his teenage son,
- Suleman; French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet
- Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate
And here’s the full statement from the company:
“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 the 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.”
Earlier this week the search for the lost Titan sub:
Canadian search aircraft reported detecting underwater sounds. The origin of these noises remains uncertain, and officials have warned that they may not be connected to the Titan.
The discovery of a debris field on Thursday is currently the only potential lead found by remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) sent to investigate the area.
One of these ROVs, launched from the Canadian ship Horizon Arctic, reached the ocean floor early on Thursday. Additional ROVs were anticipated to arrive later in the day.
The French research vessel Atalante also joined the search efforts on Thursday morning, deploying its own ROV. According to the US Coast Guard, this robot can dive deeper than the Titanic wreckage, which lies approximately 12,500 feet (3,810 meters) below the surface. Moreover, it has previous experience surveying the Titanic.
Search teams are examining an expansive 26,000 square kilometer (10,000 square mile) area of the ocean, roughly twice the size of Connecticut. This region is known for its turbulent weather and limited visibility, which complicates search operations, experts explain.
