All five crew onboard Titanic sub are dead after ‘implosion’.
All five people aboard a submersible that went missing near the wreck of the Titanic died — likely in an instant — when their vessel suffered what the US Coast Guard said Thursday was a “catastrophic implosion” in the ocean depths.
The somber announcement ended a multinational search-and-rescue operation that captivated the world since the tiny tourist craft disappeared in the North Atlantic four days ago.
Rear Admiral John Mauger told reporters in Boston that analysis showed debris found on the seafloor, 1,600 feet (500 meters) from the bow of the Titanic, was consistent with an implosion of the sub’s pressure chamber.
“On behalf of the United States Coast Guard and the entire unified command, I offer my deepest condolences to the families,” Mauger said.
On board were British explorer Hamish Harding, French submarine expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani-British tycoon Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, and Stockton Rush, CEO of the sub’s operator OceanGate Expeditions.
OceanGate said its “hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time.”
“These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans,” it said in a statement.
The Coast Guard announced earlier Thursday that an underwater robot had discovered a “debris field” in the search area.
– ‘Unforgiving environment’ –
Authorities said they later learned the pieces included the sub’s tail cone and front and back ends of its pressure hull.
Mauger said the Coast Guard could not be sure when or why the vessel imploded and declined to be drawn on whether remains of the men would be retrieved.
“This is an incredibly unforgiving environment down there on the seafloor,” he said.
