In this US Coast Guard handout, a Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina HC-130 Hercules airplane flies over the French research vessel, L'Atalante approximately 900 miles East of Cape Cod during the search for the 21-foot submersible, Titan, June 21, 2023, over the Atlantic Ocean. The unified command is searching for five people after the Canadian research vessel Polar Prince lost contact with their submersible during a dive to the wreck of the Titanic on June 18, 2023. — US Coast Guard via Getty Images/TNS
The five passengers aboard the submersible that vanished on a trip to explore the Titanic in the Atlantic have died, the US Coast Guard said on June 22.
“I offer my deepest condolences to the families. I can only imagine what this has been like for them,” Coast Guard Rear Adm. John W. Mauger said in a news conference. “I hope that this discovery provides some solace during this difficult time.”
Underwater robots from the vessel the Horizon Arctic discovered the tail cone of the 21-foot Titan, approximately 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic on the ocean floor, Mauger said. The Remotely operated vehicle found additional debris from the Titan, he said.
Paul Hankins, a salvage expert for the US Navy, said five different major pieces of debris were found, including the nose cone, which was outside of the pressure hull. A large debris field contained the front end bell of the pressure hull, the “first indication of a catastrophic event”.
OceanGate Expeditions, which owns and operates the submersible, said that all five lives “have sadly been lost”.
The debris found within the search area of the Titanic was from the submersible that went missing, OceanGate said in a statement.
“These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans,” the statement read. “Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew.”
The five people aboard were Stockton Rush, who was serving as the expedition’s pilot; Hamish Harding, chairman of Action Aviation, a Dubai-based aircraft dealer; Paul-Henry Nargeolet, a veteran and accomplished diver with more than 30 trips to the wreck site; and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and son Suleman. Harding and Nargeolet were members of the Explorers Club, according to the professional society.
“This is an extremely sad time for our dedicated employees who are exhausted and grieving deeply over this loss,” OceanGate said. “The entire OceanGate family is deeply grateful for the countless men and women from multiple organisations of the international community who expedited wide-ranging resources and have worked so very hard on this mission. We appreciate their commitment to finding these five explorers, and their days and nights of tireless work in support of our crew and their families.
“This is a very sad time for the entire explorer community, and for each of the family members of those lost at sea. We respectfully ask that the privacy of these families be respected during this most painful time.”
The statement from OceanGate comes after the US Coast Guard said it discovered a debris field within the search area for the missing submersible by a remotely operated vehicle near the Titanic. – Los Angeles Times/Tribune News Service
