New video released by the Coast Guard showed what was left of the Titan submersible after it reached the bottom of the sea in June 2023.
The Titan was diving to the wreck of the Titanic when it imploded on June 18, 2023, killing all five passengers aboard. The Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigations is currently holding hearings on the disaster. The video was released as part of that process.
The video was shot by a remotely operated vehicle that, according to the video, was more than 3,700 meters below the surface of the ocean when it recorded the footage of what was left of Titan.
The video showed the tail cone of the submersible buried in the ocean floor, with a gash on one side. After the video focused on the Titan, it panned into the depths, showing small pieces of debris. As noted by CNN, remains of those who were killed were recovered.
The Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation has released ROV footage of the Titan submersible’s tail cone. The video provided conclusive evidence of the catastrophic loss of the submersible Titan and the death of all five members aboard.pic.twitter.com/0QsTHE8Wmd
— Mike Schuler (@MikeSchuler) September 17, 2024
During Monday’s hearing, it was revealed that about an hour after Titan made its descent, a message to the Polar Prince, its support ship, said, “all good here,” according to the BBC.
About half an hour later, the last message from the Titan was received while it was 3,346 meters below the surface.
The message sent six seconds before communication was lost for good said, “dropped two wts,” according to CNN.
Dropping weights was a tactic that could be used to reach the surface, which has led to claims the crew was trying to end the mission and get to the surface, knowing there was a problem.
Seconds after that message, the support ship “pinged” the Titan. After that, it lost track of the submersible.
During the hearing, the safety record of Ocean Gate and CEO Stockton Rush, who died in the wreck, was criticized by Tony Nissen, who was the engineering director with the company but said he was fired over disputes about Titan’s safety, according to NBC.
Nissen said that Titan had been hit by lightning, which he believed weakened its carbon fiber hull, and had a crack in the hull, which led him to refuse to sign off on the Titan being able to dive.
Jason Neubauer, the chairman of the Marine Board of Investigation, said the hearing is being held to outline safety information, so “no family will experience such a loss again.”
If there are findings of negligence, misconduct, and possible criminal behavior, the case would be sent to the Justice Department.
Titan imploded after the hull collapsed under the pressure of the water and came to rest not far from the Titanic.
Rush died in the wreck, as did passengers Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son, Suleman Dawood; Hamish Harding; and Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
On Monday, Tym Catterson, a former contractor for OceanGate, said he had concerns about the hull, but Rush said it was sound, according to CNN.
Catterson said the end came “instantly.”
“The failure happened at the forward glue line at the ring,” Catterson said. “That thing was sheared off smooth, so this had to have happened extraordinarily fast, which means the people in there, they had no idea this was coming.”
