Imploded Titan Sub Seen for First Time as Wreckage Pieces Are Pulled From Ocean Floor Following Tragic Death of 5
The first photos of the Titan submersible that suffered a "catastrophic implosion" on its way to the Titanic wreckage have been released, RadarOnline.com can report. Cranes were photographed pulling the pieces of the destroyed sub out of the Atlantic Ocean in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, Wednesday.
Based on the photos, several pieces of the vessel were recovered from the bottom of the ocean, although it's hard to pinpoint what was actually salvaged. Some outlets are reporting the black landing gear from the base of the Titan was found among the recoverable wreckage.
Several workers in construction hats looked somber as they were seen carrying the pieces of the wrecked sea vessel onto land.
Investigators will likely study the salvageable pieces from the OceanGate sub to determine what led to the "catastrophic implosion" that killed all of its five passengers in an effort to prevent another tragedy like this from happening again.
Those on board that lost their lives included OceanGate's CEO Stockton Rush, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman, French submersible pilot Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and British billionaire Hamish Harding. It's believed the tragedy happened so quickly that the victims never saw it coming and felt no pain.
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As RadarOnline.com reported, the Titan lost communication with the outside world just two hours into the voyage on June 18. With only 96 hours of emergency oxygen inside the vessel, a massive days-long search went underway, with experts fearing the passengers were either trapped in the Titanic wreckage or had suffered an implosion.
On Thursday morning, the emergency oxygen ran out, and a debris field was found near the iconic ship's remains. Hours later, OceanGate confirmed the news — revealing that all five explorers died after the sub experienced a "catastrophic implosion."
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"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."
The company and late CEO have since been criticized after ex-staffers claimed their warnings about the dangers of the submersible were ignored.