In a disheartening turn of events, the discovery of debris consistent with a catastrophic implosion near the site of the Titanic has brought the search for the missing Titan submarine to a sad but definitive conclusion. There was a glimmer of closure this week when pieces of the ill-fated submarine wreck were successfully retrieved and returned to Earth.
Debris consistent with the devastating implosion of the lost submarine Titan was found near the site of the Titanic this week, bringing the search to a sad but definitive end.
Thanks to the pickup and delivery of pieces of the wreckage of the submarine, we got our first look at what remains of the fateful submarine today.
Aboard the Arctic Horizon, the OceanGate Titan was dismantled and transported back to St. John’s, Newfoundland. Pelagic Research Services dispatched an ROV to collect the debris.
A collection of images and videos shows the team transporting salvaged submarine components to the dock. The Coast Guard will use the wreckage to gather more information about the tragedy that claimed the lives of all five on board.
In a statement this morning, Pelagic Research Services said the Horizon Arctic crew had “successfully completed operations at sea” and would soon be demobilized.
After 10 days of continuous effort, he “desires to complete the mission and return to his loved ones”.
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Heather Gillis, @HeatherMGillis The crew is unable to say more about their recovery efforts due to their duty of confidentiality and the confidentiality of the Coast Guard investigation. They begged them not to endanger the current Titan probe.
Ten days after the OceanGate submarine disappeared and six days after the wreckage was discovered on the ocean floor, the wreckage has been picked up following the “catastrophic loss” of the submarine’s pressure chamber.
The Titanic disaster was the submarine’s intended target, and a debris field was found nearby. The Titan’s tail cone was found about 1,600 feet from the Titanic’s bow, underscoring the uncanny parallels between the two maritime disasters.
US coast guard ship sycamore now in St. John’s harbour along with Horizon Arctic, which arrived earlier this morning pic.twitter.com/0d2Y8dYvXH
— Heather Gillis (@HeatherMGillis) June 28, 2023
The truck is now hauling away the rubble.
@HeatherMGillis — Heather Gillis Passengers included OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, British businessman Hamish Harding, French explorer Paul-Henry Nargeolet, Pakistani businesswoman Shahzada Dawood, and his teenage son Sulaiman. They’re all supposed to be dead.
Passengers paid a price of 250 thousand dollars. An eight-day survey of the wreckage of the Titanic was planned. It has already been questioned whether the operation is safe.
According to a Duke University biomedical engineer with expertise in underwater survival, “It was a company that was already challenging a lot of what we already know about submersible design.”
The crane from Horizon Arctic has now lifted two circular metal objects onto a flatbed truck as well. Workers are wrapping each piece in blue tarp.
— Heather Gillis (@HeatherMGillis) June 28, 2023
I was very concerned about the reliability of the technology they were using. If I were James Cameron, Avatar director, and sailor.
Cameron told the BBC: “I wouldn’t have gone into that submarine and I think OceanGate didn’t get certified because he knew it wouldn’t pass.”
It is disturbing to see the wreckage of the Titan submarine in these images, but perhaps the parts that have been recovered can help with the investigation and prevent similar disasters in the future.
These photos are both striking and grim. However, it is hoped that the pieces found will aid in the investigation, shed light on the causes of this tragedy, and potentially prevent future disasters of a similar nature. As the world grapples with a profound loss, there remains a collective determination to learn from this devastating event and increase the safety and reliability of underwater exploration.