US Coast Guard announces death of submersible crew

According to the US Coast Guard, the debris found near the Titanic wreck belongs to the missing Titan submersible. This proves that there is no longer a chance of survival for the five missing.

Shortly after 9 p.m., Coast Guard Commander John Mauger announced the deaths of the 5 men. About 500 meters from the wreck of the Titanic on the sea floor the wreckage of the “Titan” was discovered. The parts indicated a catastrophic loss of pressure in the submarine, it said in the Coast Guard press conference, which lasted around 20 minutes.

The debris field points to a catastrophic implosion of the submarine. There are currently no signs of a collision. Work is now underway to investigate how the accident happened.

In the operational area around 700 kilometers south of the Canadian island of Newfoundland, teams from the USA and Canada had started a large-scale search both on the water surface and in the depths of the ocean. Ships, aircraft, remote-controlled underwater vehicles, diving robots and other equipment were used.

The submersible had been missing since Sunday morning (local time). The “Titan” was with 5 people on board on the way to the wreck of the “Titanic” that sank in 1912 at a depth of around 3,800 meters. About an hour and 45 minutes after the start of the dive, contact with the mothership was lost.

The search for the “Titan” was feverish. It was unclear whether the boat could still be intact and where it was.

On board was the billionaire adventurer and entrepreneur Hamish Hardingthe Frenchman Paul Henri Nargeolet, the British-Pakistani business consultant Shahzada Dawood (48) and his 19-year-old son Suleman. The fifth missing person is the boss of the operating company OceanGate Expeditions. The company has confirmed that Stockton Rush steered the boat for a tourist dive towards the “Titanic” wreck, reports the “New York Times”.

Location: The scene of the accident