The fate of OceanGate Titan submersible was revealed on Monday, Sept. 16, through a series of haunting final photos.
During the press conference, the first photo of the ill-fated OceanGate Titan submersible was made public. It was revealed that the implosion of the experimental submersible occurred around 12,500 feet below sea level on June 18, 2023. All five passengers were killed.
The first photo was taken during the search for the submersible. It was also revealed the final message that Titan’s support ship, Polar Prince, received from the watercraft was, “All good here.”
The OceanGate Titan submersible was on an expedition to view the wreck of the famous Titanic. The wreck is located off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada in the North Atlantic Ocean. However, the watercraft went radio silent one hour and 45 minutes into the dive. Authorities were alerted hours later.
Four days into the search, a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) discovered a debris field that contained parts of the submersible. It was located 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic.
The United States Navy further revealed its sonar detective discovered an acoustic signature that was consistent with an implosion. This happened around the time communication with the OceanGate Titan submersible stopped.
Those onboard the submersible at the time of the implosion were OceanGate CEO and co-founder Stockton Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, crew member Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his son Suleman.
Nargeolet’s family recently filed a lawsuit.
A Hearing About the OceanGate Titan Submersible Implosion is Underway
Meanwhile, a hearing is underway about the events leading up to the OceanGate Titan submersible implosion.
The Coast Guard heard from Tony Nissen, OceanGate’s former engineering director. He revealed details about the numerous safety concerns that were ignored by Rush.
Investigators also stated that the submersible experienced dozens of problems from previous trips. This included 70 equipment issues that were reported in 2021 and 48 issues reported in 2022.
OceanGates’ former finance director Bonnie Carl and former contractor Tym Catterson also spoke at the hearing.
During her testimony, Carl said she never saw one of the OceanGate’s alleged mission specialists sign any waivers with the sea exploration company. She then said the mission specialists were wealthy customers with no qualifications.
Carl further shared that all major decisions about the company’s operations were made by Rush. Both she and Nissen departed from the company due to safety concerns.