Pieces of the Titan submersible, which experienced a catastrophic explosion while en route to the Titanic wreckage, were brought ashore in Canada on Wednesday.
Personnel from the Horizon Arctic vessel transported several crucial parts of the OceanGate submersible to St. John’s, Newfoundland, and their arrival was captured in images and footage. According to The Daily Mail, three pieces were retrieved from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. The largest piece appeared to contain mechanical components and wiring, while the other two resembled the external cover and landing frame.
On Thursday, search crews discovered wreckage from the Titan on the ocean floor, confirming the tragic loss of the ship and its five occupants. The debris field was detected by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) from the Horizon Arctic.
Rear Admiral John Mauger reported, “the tail cone of the Titan submersible was found approximately 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic on the sea floor.” Further debris was also recovered, and Mauger’s analysis concluded that it was “consistent with the catastrophic failure of the pressure chamber.” The families of the deceased were promptly informed of the findings.
According to The Wall Street Journal, following the submersible’s loss of contact with its mothership early in the mission, officials determined that an explosion had taken place on board based on the detection of an implosion using top-secret U.S. Navy technology.
A senior U.S. Navy officer informed The Wall Street Journal that an anomaly in the acoustic data indicated an implosion or explosion occurred near the Titan submarine at the time communication was lost. A preliminary report was submitted to the Incident Commander to assist in the ongoing search and rescue operation.
Experts analyzing the remains of the Titan speculated that the passengers and crew likely perished within milliseconds.
Among the individuals aboard the submersible were Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate, billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, British businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, and renowned French maritime expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who has dedicated decades to diving expeditions to the Titanic wreckage.