The US Coast Guard has confirmed that the Titan submersible suffered a 'catastrophic implosion', killing all five crew members instantly. The vessel lost communication 1 hour and 45 minutes into its descent to the Titanic wreck on 18 June.
The submersible, operated by OceanGate Expeditions, began its descent at 12pm GMT (8am ET) from the surface vessel Polar Prince. It was scheduled to return at 7pm GMT (3pm ET) but failed to reappear. The Coast Guard was notified at 9.40pm GMT (5.40pm ET).
A massive search operation involving US and Canadian ships and aircraft was launched. On 21 June, Canadian P-3 Orion aircraft detected underwater noises at 30-minute intervals, but these were later determined not to be from the Titan.
On 22 June, a remotely operated vehicle discovered a debris field near the Titanic wreck, including the tail cone of the Titan. Rear Adm John Mauger stated the debris was 'consistent with a catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber'.
The five crew members—British billionaire Hamish Harding, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman—are believed to have died instantly. Harding had posted on Facebook that the mission was 'likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023'.
The implosion likely occurred at depth, with the pressure chamber collapsing under extreme forces. The search covered an area twice the size of Connecticut, with vessels including a French research ship equipped with a deep-sea diving vessel arriving late on 21 June.
