Friend of 2 of the missing passengers has confirmed that the debris found earlier today is from the Titan submersible. He received the confirmation live via Whatsapp.
This confirms what we’ve been assuming since yesterday:
1. The submersible had a catastrophic implosion
2. The implosion was likely due to a low quality brittle carbon fibre hull
3. The passengers likely died a very quick death, no suffocating or suffering
And I assume the company that runs the expedition and owns the submersible will face significant legal action for the safety shortcuts they’ve undertaken.
For everyone looking for a miraculous rescue, those hopes were dashed this morning.
For a detailed breakdown of what happened, check the tweets below.
Debris has been found by The U.S. Coast Guard near Titanic wreckage in the search for the missing submersible.
This confirms what we’ve discussed for 8 hours yesterday: The carbon fibre hull of the submersible IMPLODED, killing everyone onboard instantly
The bad news: Everyone is unfortunately dead. Our hearts go to their friends and family.
The ‘good’ news: While this isn’t really good news, it’s a relief, because the implosion means everyone onboard died instantly instead of suffocating slowly over days.
🚨BREAKING: Friend of 2 of the missing passengers has confirmed that the debris found earlier today is from the Titan submersible. He received the confirmation live via Whatsapp.
This confirms what we’ve been assuming since yesterday:
1. The submersible had a catastrophic… pic.twitter.com/fjx27syreV
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) June 22, 2023
A tragic but conclusive update in the case of the missing OceanGate Titan: the debris found this afternoon was found to be consistent with the “catastrophic loss” of the submersible’s pressure chamber.
The five passengers on board the submarine “have sadly been lost,” the Coast Guard said in a press statement, and their families were immediately notified. They gave their “heartfelt condolences” to the families.
The passengers were British businessman Hamish Harding, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French explorer Paul-Henry Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his teenage son Sulaiman.
Earlier today, the Coast Guard confirmed they had found a field of debris on the ocean floor near the wreck of the RMS Titanic, the submersible’s destination.
Rear Adm John Mauger told reporters that a remotely operated vehicle from Horizon Arctic discovered the Titan‘s tail cone, approximately 1,600 feet from the Titanic’s bow.
Shortly before the press conference, OceanGate released a statement that the five passengers have “sadly been lost
The passengers paid $250,000 for what would have been an eight-day expedition to the wreck of the RMS Titanic. Concerns had previously been raised about the safety of the operation.
The submersible was declared missing on Sunday after it stopped making communication and failed to resurface on schedule. The circumstances of its disappearance are still unclear. With only 96 hours of oxygen on board, an urgent search-and-rescue mission was put into action.
This morning would have been when the passengers’ oxygen supply ran out, assuming the submersible was still fully functioning. A crew reportedly heard banging noises every 30 minutes in the area where the submersible vanished, though the Coast Guard said the noises were unrelated to the discovery.
Rest in peace to everyone on board the Titan. Our hearts are with their families and friends — we hope this tragic update at least brings them some closure.