JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images
All five tourists on the missing OceanGate Titan submarine are believed to be dead after U.S. Coast Guard officials revealed the vessel suffered a “catastrophic implosion.”
The news emerged Thursday after authorities confirmed debris that had been found was a part of the sub in question.
The debris was located 1600 ft. from the bow of the RMS Titanic on the sea floor, Rear Admiral Wayne R. Arguin Jr. said during a press conference Thursday afternoon.
“In consultation with experts, the debris is consistent with a catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber,” Arguin told reporters. “Upon this deem, we immediately informed the families.”
Another U.S. Coast Guard spokesman described the issue as a “catastrophic implosion.”
Arguin went on to offer his deepest condolences for the families of British businessman Hamish Harding and Stockton Rush, both of whom founded OceanGate CEO together, as well as Pakistani billionaire Shahzada and his son Suleman Dawood and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a French diver.
The Rear Admiral said he hoped the discovery will “provide some solace to the families.”
“I can only imagine what this has been like for them. I hope that this discovery provides some solace at this difficult time,” he added.
Meanwhile, the company whose submarine was involved in the deadly and catastrophic loss released a statement about the five men just before Thursday’s press conference, CNN reports.
“These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans,” according to the statement. “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 statement continued: “This is a very sad time for the entire explorer community, and for each of the family members of those lost at sea. We respectfully ask that the privacy of these families be respected during this most painful time.”
The next phase, they said, is to continue to investigate the debris field and attempt to recover the bodies. Officials are looking to determine the how, why, and when of the catastrophic implosion.
According to various reports, the submarine’s oxygen levels should have depleted at 7:08 a.m. Thursday. The vessel had been equipt with a four-day emergency oxygen supply.
The craft submerged on Sunday (June 18) for a dive to explore the RMS Titanic wreckage. However, it lost signal in the Atlantic Ocean 370 miles off Newfoundland, Canada, according to a statement provided by Harding’s “Explorer Club.”
