Five people on board on the tourist submarine that disappeared on an expedition to explore the Titanic shipwreck over the weekend but could not survive a "catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber," officials said on Thursday June 22 2023.
The Titan submersible, operated by OceanGate Expeditions, has been imploded in the Atlantic Ocean, news reports have confirmed. On 18 June, the submersible went on an expedition to explore the wreckage of the sunken Titanic off the coast of Newfoundland but two hours later it lost the communication. A renowned Titanic expert, a world record-holding adventurer, two members of one of Pakistan's wealthiest families, and the CEO of the company were part of the luxurious expedition. The US Coast Guard and deep-sea water experts from Canada, the UK, and France jointly started a search operation for the Titan submersible on Sunday (18 June), spurring a desperate international rescue effort. However, Thursday June 22, the US Coast Guard confirmed there were no survivors after the catastrophic implosion deep in the North Atlantic.
The announcement came after the U.S. Coast Guard said the massive search underway in the North Atlantic had located a debris field on the sea floor, which was confirmed to be pieces of the missing submersible. US authorities say a debris field located in the North Atlantic leads to a conclusion that OceanGate's Titan submersible suffered a "catastrophic implosion" (a violent collapse inwards), instantly killing all five passengers on board. The US Navy says it detected sounds "consistent with an implosion" shortly after the sub lost contact on Sunday during a descent to the Titanic wreck at 3,800m (12,467ft) below sea level - but this information was only made public on Thursday. The loss of the deep-water vessel was finally confirmed after a huge search mission in the area off Canada's Newfoundland province. Titan submersible carrying five people to the Titanic imploded near the site of the shipwreck and killed everyone on board. OceanGate was the operator of the Titan Submersible.p0
After days of intense search efforts, the US Navy has confirmed that the implosion of the Titan submarine's hull led to its tragic loss. The Navy detected sounds consistent with an implosion shortly after the submarine lost contact during its descent to the Titanic wreck, which lies at a depth of 3,800 meters (12,467 feet) below sea level. This crucial information was only disclosed to the public on 22 June.
How much did Titan search cost?
According to experts, the cost of the unprecedented search for the missing Titan submersible will easily stretch into the millions of dollars. The search area spanned thousands of miles — twice the size of Connecticut and in waters 2 1/2 miles (4 kilometers) deep — with agencies such as the US Coast Guard, the Canadian Coast Guard, US Navy and other agencies and private entities. There’s no other comparable ocean search, especially with so many countries and even commercial enterprises being involved in recent times, naval historian Norman Polmar told AP. The aircraft, alone, are expensive to operate, and the Government Accountability Office has put the hourly cost at tens of thousands of dollars. Turboprop P-3 Orion and jet-powered P-8 Poseidon sub hunters, along with C-130 Hercules, were all utilized in the search.Some agencies can seek reimbursements. But the U.S. Coast Guard — whose bill alone will hit the millions of dollars — is generally prohibited by federal law from collecting reimbursement pertaining to any search or rescue service, said attorney Stephen Koerting. The issue is under investigation.
