5 Passengers On Titanic Sub Instantly Killed in 'Catastrophic Implosion,' Officials Confirm
Jun. 22 2023, Published 5:04 p.m. ET
After a debris field was located near the Titanic wreckage site, OceanGate Expeditions said all five passengers on board its missing submersible were dead as a result of a "catastrophic implosion," RadarOnline.com has learned.
On Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that external parts belonging to OceanGate Expedition's missing Titan submersible were found on the ocean floor shortly before 9 AM local time.
OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet were all on board the submersible.
The debris field was discovered about 500 meters from the bow of the Titanic with the help of the Canadian Coast Guard's Odysseus 6k, a remote-operated vehicle (ROV). At an underwater depth of 12,500 feet, among debris scattered across the ocean floor, sat the Titan's landing frame and rear cover.
Investigators believed these pieces indicated that the submersible suffered an underwater implosion brought on by extreme pressure.
While the hull of the submersible was unaccounted for, the condition of Titan's recovered components appeared to indicate that the five passengers were instantly killed in the blast. It was unclear if the explorers ever made it to the wreckage site that they spent $250k each to see.
During the press conference, U.S. Coast Guard officials confirmed that the debris field was located on a "smooth" section of the ocean floor and did not appear to include any debris from the Titanic.
Additionally, the debris field's location was said to have aligned with the water column from the Titan's last point of communication to its mothership, the Polar Prince, before it went missing. The Polar Prince waited an astonishing eight hours before alerting the coast guard on the Titan's missing status.
Never miss a story — sign up for the RadarOnline.com newsletter to get your daily dose of dope. Daily. Breaking. Celebrity news. All free.
Following Thursday's news, OceanGate released a statement regarding the tragic loss of life.
"We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost," the statement read. "These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans."
"Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew."