Missing Titanic Submersible Destroyed In ‘Catastrophic Implosion,’ All Five Passengers Dead

Titan, the missing deep-sea submersible carrying five people on a voyage to the century-old wreck of the Titanic was destroyed in a ‘catastrophic implosion’ during the descent. All five aboard were killed, said the US Coast Guard on Thursday, concluding a multinational five-day search operation for the vessel.

A robotic diving vehicle from a Canadian ship discovered a debris field from the submersible Titan on Thursday morning on the seabed around 1,600 feet (488 meters) from the bow of the Titanic, 4 km beneath the surface, in a remote corner of the North Atlantic, said US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger, reported Reuters. 

Titan, a 21 feet submersible operated by US-based firm OceanGate Expeditions, was on its descent to the wreck of the Titanic ship some 12,500 feet underwater when it lost contact with the surface vehicle on Sunday morning, according to Reuters report. 

The passengers were OceaGate CEO Stockton Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, French oceanographer and Navy veteran Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman. Rush was piloting the Titan.

"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 OceanGate said in a statement. "Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time," it added.

According to search and rescue officials, the victims likely died on Sunday, before military planes using sonar buoys detected what they thought could have been SOS ‘banging sounds in the water. 

“The implosion would have generated a significant, broadband sound that the sonar buoys would have picked up,” said Mauger during a press conference.

Five major fragments of the Titan were spotted in the debris field left from its disintegration, comprising the vessel’s tail come and two sections of the pressure hull. However, no mention was made of recovering any human remains. 

Rescue teams from several nations have spent five days searching thousands of square miles of open seas with planes and ships for any sign of the Titan.