Footage of the explosion's devastation set to be publicized
A newly released video suggests that the Titan submersible imploded during a dive to the Titanic wreck, possibly on June 18, 2023. The implosion, believed to be the cause of death for all five individuals onboard, occurred about 90 minutes into the descent.
The event took place at a depth of approximately 3,300 meters. Preliminary findings by the US Coast Guard indicate a catastrophic failure of the pressure chamber, with the debris field discovered near the Titanic wreck matching the loss of the pressure vessel.
The video, transmitted to the US Coast Guard by OceanGate, depicts crew members on the support ship, the Polar Prince, upon hearing a distinct "bang" at the time of the incident. Wendy Rush, wife of OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, who was onboard the Titan, was among those present. This sound correlated with the loss of tracking and communication with the submersible.
The last message from the Titan indicated that it had dropped weights to change buoyancy, and contact was lost almost immediately afterward. The US Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation held public hearings on the disaster last year, with their final report expected later this year. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is also investigating.
The TSB reported that 17 crew members and 24 passengers were onboard the Polar Prince when the incident occurred. The wreck of the legendary ship lies roughly 700 kilometers southeast of Newfoundland. About an hour and 45 minutes later, the support ship lost contact.
The subsequent search and rescue mission attracted worldwide attention, resulting in the recovery of the Titan's wreckage from the ocean floor, approximately 300 meters from the bow of the Titanic. The wreckage was brought to the surface and then returned to the port of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.
In addition to Stockton Rush, the passengers who died in the tragedy were British billionaire Hamish Harding, French explorer and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his 19-year-old son, Suleman. OceanGate has since ceased operations and fully cooperated with the ongoing investigations.
- The failure of the pressure chamber on the Titan submersible, a transport vessel, during a dive to the Titanic wreck on June 18, 2023, raised concerns in the field of health-and-wellness, as it's believed to have caused the death of all five individuals onboard.
- The tragic event, involving the Titan submersible and resulting in fatalities, brought to light the importance of maintaining the integrity of pressure chambers in science, specifically space-and-astronomy, where such vehicles are crucial for exploration at extreme depths.
