After a four-day search, debris from the lost submersible Titan was discovered by a remotely controlled underwater vehicle on Thursday morning. All five occupants of the sub are thought to be deceased.
At a press conference on Thursday afternoon, U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger stated that the debris “is consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber.” I send the families my sincere condolences on behalf of the United States Coast Guard and the unified command.
During a dive to the infamous Titanic wreck, the submarine vanished on Sunday morning more than 600 km off the coast of Newfoundland. Nearly 500 metres from the wreck, debris was discovered that was thought to have come from Titan’s exterior body. The debris was “consistent with implosion in the water column,” according to officials.
From Boston, Mauger added, “We’re going to keep looking into the debris field location. It is a complicated matter to resolve since this incident occurred in a remote area of the ocean with participants from, you know, several various nations.
On Sunday, approximately an hour and a half into the dive, the Polar Prince, the Titan’s support ship, lost touch with the submersible. The U.S. Coast Guard was alerted nearly eight hours later, which started the 24-hour search operation.
SUBSTANTIAL FAILURE
The remotely operated vehicle (ROV), which was launched from the Canadian vessel Horizon Arctic, found two debris fields and at least five significant parts of the sub, including its nose cone and a portion of its pressure hull. Before the search and rescue effort really got going, it’s thought that the Titan exploded under the intense pressure of the deep ocean.
According to officials, listening equipment did not pick up any noises indicative of such a “catastrophic failure,” and that noises previously picked up by a Canadian aircraft were likely unrelated to the missing sub.
The sonar buoys would have detected a strong broadband sound produced by the catastrophic collapse of the ship, according to Mauger. “Over the next 24 hours, we will start demobilizing personnel and vessels from the scene.”
Up until then, a challenging investigation and crew search are proceeding.
When asked if it was possible to uncover human remains on the seafloor, Mauger responded, “This is an incredibly unforgiving environment.” I don’t currently have a response for prospects, but we’ll keep working and searching the area down there.
An ROV belonging to Pelagic Research Services, a company based in Massachusetts, found the debris. The Odysseus 6K is the first ROV to touch down on the ocean floor. It can operate at extreme depths of 6,000 metres and is outfitted with lights, cameras, and two robotic arms. On Thursday morning, the U.S. Coast Guard announced the Canadian ship. There was at least one additional ROV present.
THESE MEN WERE REAL TRAVELLERS,
Since 2021, OceanGate Expeditions has organised tours and research expeditions to the wreck of the British ocean ship. At least 46 persons were transported by the firm to the accident, with some of them spending almost $300,000. Since the Titan vanished, information from a 2018 engineering assessment has come to light, suggesting structural problems with the submersible and its capacity to endure ocean pressure where the wreck is located at a depth of 3,800 metres.
Paul-Henry (PH) Nargeolet, a French explorer, Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman, members of a wealthy Pakistani family, Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate, and Hamish Harding, a billionaire, and adventurer, were the other four passengers on board the Titan.
OceanGate said in a statement to CTV News that “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 hardworking, devoted employees are worn out and grieving a great deal right now, so please understand how awful this is.
There probably wouldn’t have been enough time to activate backup mechanisms that could have brought the Titan back to Earth in an emergency. The oxygen supply on the lost submersible would have exceeded the anticipated maximum 96-hour mark Thursday morning even if it hadn’t exploded.
While submarines can sail to and from ports on their own, submersibles like the Titan are launched from a mother ship. Submersibles can be attached to a surface ship, but the Titan operated on its own.
Support is “OUTPOURING”
At least nine warships remained on the scene as of Thursday afternoon. St. John’s, Newfoundland, served as a vital staging area for the operation, featuring significant Canadian participation in the worldwide air and sea search.
“The outpouring of support in this highly complex search operation has been robust and immensely appreciated,” said Mauger from the U.S. Coast Guard. We also immensely appreciate all the aid from around the world that has been given.
The Canadian Coast Guard Ships (CCGS) John Cabot, Ann Harvey, and Terry Fox were among the participating Canadian assets. The HMCS Glace Bay of the Royal Canadian Navy, which was equipped with a transportable decompression chamber and medical personnel in case the crew were discovered, joined them on Thursday morning. Additionally helping were C-130 Hercules and a CP-140 Aurora submarine detector from the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Capt. During a press conference in Boston on Wednesday, Jamie Frederick of the U.S. Coast Guard told reporters that “our Canadian partners have been providing critical leadership and significant response capabilities since the beginning of our efforts.”
using materials from The Associated Press and CNN
