In June 2023, five people died when they took a deep underwater journey on the OceanGate vessel to visit the Titanic wreck.
Having descended thousands of feet deep, contact was lost with the sub on 18 June. With a huge search operation becoming a huge internet obsession, a ‘debris field’ was eventually discovered.
It was then confirmed the Titan was destroyed by a ‘catastrophic implosion’.
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Audio from Titan sub disaster
Onboard the sub were OceanGate's CEO Stockton Rush, the British explorer Hamish Harding, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman, and veteran French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
The hearing is currently taking place. (Pelagic Research Services)A two-week long hearing into the tragedy is currently being held by the US Coast Guard in Charlestown, South Carolina. This has also revealed the last words of the vessel’s crew.
Released with this hearing, an image shows the Titan sub on the ocean floor with the aft tail cone sticking out of the ocean floor at 3,775m deep alongside other debris.
This photo was taken by a remotely operate vehicle when a search of the ocean floor took place following the tragic incident.
The hearing is investigating the alleged negligence of OceanGate during the incident and any possible failings in the search that followed.Featured Image Credit: Pelagic Research Services/OceanGate/Becky Kagan Schott
Topics: Titanic, World News, News
Jess Battison
Updated 17:19 16 Sep 2024 GMT+1Published 16:50 16 Sep 2024 GMT+1
Last words of Titan submersible crew before implosion revealed
The last words from the crew of the Titan submersible have been revealed
Michael Slavin
The last words of the Titan submersible crew, prior to its implosion, have been released in a hearing about the incident.
The hearing is being held by the US Coast Guard, and is investigating the incident that led to the death of the five passengers of the vessel.
Onboard the submersible was Oceangate's CEO Stockton Rush, the British explorer Hamish Harding, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman, and veteran French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
The five were taking a trip in the OceanGate vessel to descend 12,500 feet to look at the wreckage of the Titanic on the ocean floor.
The Titan submersible. (PA)The hearing will investigate alleged negligence of OceanGate in the incident, and possible failings in the resulting search.
One resulting factor of this was finding out the final words transmitted from the crew prior to the Titan sub's implosion.
The crew aboard the vessel had been in communication with staff on board the support vessel, the 'Polar Prince'.
Contact between the Polar Prince and the submersible was lost following repeated inquiries from the support vessel.
They requested information about the submersible's depth and weight as it descended.
The Polar Prince then repeatedly asked if the Titan could still see the vessel on its display.
The Titan's final response was 'all good'.
The submersible imploded in its descent (OceanGate/Becky Kagan Schott)The vehicle had received criticism prior to this incident, with reports in the hearing revealing that engineers saw 'rapid decompression' in the testing phase.
The company's former engineer director, Tony Nissen, spoke at the hearing saying he wasn't 'surprised that it failed where it did'.
He stated that he saw rapid decompression of one of the company's models in testing, and when flagged, the Chief Executive of the company contracted to make the hull for the submersible, Brian Spencer, was 'not willing to change anything that he did'.
Nissen went on to address the fact that the submersible was never officially classed by the Classification Society.
Inside the Titanic submersible
Credit: Instagram/OceanGate
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This is a group that maintains and upholds standards surrounding the technical safety in the construction and operation of ships.
Nissen said that this was an issue to Mr Rush, the CEO who was killed in the incident, due to the time and cost it would entail.
He said: "One of the days he was crying on my shoulder, saying it would take too long, it's way too expensive, it's ridiculous in his words, it stifles innovation."
He did go on to state that classing the vehicle would not have prevented the accident by itself.Featured Image Credit: PA / OceanGate/Becky Kagan Schott
Michael Slavin
Updated 08:53 16 Sep 2024 GMT+1Published 08:50 16 Sep 2024 GMT+1
New ‘critical’ information could be revealed over deaths of five people killed on doomed Titan sub mission in major investigation
An investigation into the five people who died in the Titan sub disaster is underway
Anish Vij
New information could be revealed over the deaths of the five people who were killed in the Titan submersible disaster.
OceanGate's expedition was meant to take the five men to the wreck of the Titanic on 18 June, 2023.
However, the vessel lost contact just an hour and 45 minutes into the two-hour descent around 435 miles south of St John’s, Newfoundland.
Banging noise from Titan sub search
Credit: Channel 5
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The wreckage of the sub was found days later as the passengers were named as OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, 61, British billionaire Hamish Harding, 58, Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his 19-year-old son Suleman.
Following the tragedy, OceanGate confirmed last July that it had 'suspended all exploration and commercial operations'.
The Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation announced that a new public hearing regarding the deaths will open in South Carolina, US, today (16 September).
24 witnesses will come forward over the next two weeks, including former executives of OceanGate and technical experts.
An investigation has been launched after five men were killed Titan submersible disaster (PA)Ahead of the hearing, the chairman of the Titan Marine Board of Investigation, Jason Neubauer, said on Sunday (15 September): "Over the past 15 months, our team has worked continuously, in close co-ordination with multiple federal agencies, international partners and industry experts to uncover the facts surrounding this incident.
"These proceedings are not just a formality.
"They are a critical step in our mission to understand the contributing factors that led to the incident and, more importantly, the actions needed to prevent a similar occurrence.
"We are charged to also detect misconduct or negligence by credentialed mariners, and if there’s any detection of a criminal act, we can make a recommendation to the Department of Justice."
On what they investigating, the United States Coast Guard added: "Following completion of the evidence gathering phase of the investigation, including the public hearings, the Board will carefully evaluate all evidence to determine, as closely as possible the cause of the incident.
The vessel lost contact just an hour and 45 minutes into the two-hour descent (PA)"Whether there is evidence that any failure of material (either physical or design) was involved or contributed to the incident, so that proper recommendations for the prevention of the recurrence of similar incidents may be made.
"Whether there is evidence that any act of misconduct, inattention to duty, negligence or wilful violation of the law on the part of any licensed or certificated person contributed to the incident so that appropriate proceedings against the license or certificate of such person may be recommended and taken under 46 U.S.C. 6301 [Investigation of marine casualties].
"Or whether there is evidence that any Coast Guard personnel or any representative or employee of any other government agency, or any other person, caused or contributed to the cause of the incident."
After the hearing, 'the Board will evaluate all evidence and testimony to prepare a final report'.
A timeline of the Titan submersible disaster:
The Titan loses contact with support vessel
The Polar Prince loses contact with the Titan around one hour and 45 minutes into its descent on 18 June. A few hours after the submersible was supposed to resurface, the US Coast Guard received a report of an overdue submersible.
Search operation is launched
The US Coast Guard launch a large-scale operation on 19 June, 2023, when the vessel fails to resurface or make contact almost 24 hours on.
'Banging noises' are detected
Two days on from the Titan's disappearance on 21 June, 2023, sonar crews taking part in the search pick up 'banging noises', giving false hope that the passengers are still alive.
The Titan's oxygen supply 'runs out'
At 1pm E.T on 22 June, 2023, the submersible's 96-hour oxygen supply is predicted to have ran out, cementing fears for the crew onboard.
A 'debris field' is discovered, leading to the realisation of a 'catastrophic implosion'
The US Coast Guard confirms the Titan was destroyed by a ‘catastrophic implosion’ - a result of both enormous water pressure and failed materials - with the loss of all five people aboard.Featured Image Credit: PA
Topics: Titan Submersible, Titanic, UK News, World News
Anish Vij
Updated 09:51 11 Jun 2024 GMT+1Published 09:31 11 Jun 2024 GMT+1
Communication logs between Titan submersible and mothership found to be fake
The communication logs released in June 2023 have been confirmed to be fake
Joshua Nair
A transcript that was previously thought to detail the events between the doomed Titan submersible and the mothership have been found to be fabricated.
The infamous Titan Submersible imploded en-route to the wreck of the Titanic, almost one year ago today, with it setting off on its descent on 18 June 2023.
It killed all five of the passengers on board, which included the CEO and co-founder of OceanGate, the company that designed and built the submersible, Stockton Rush.
In addition to him, other passengers onboard were Hamish Harding, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman Dawood.
Banging noise from Titan sub search
Credit: Channel 5
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This tragic incident gained more attention following a Channel 5 documentary that covered the events of its fateful descent.
The sub's destruction launched a desperate search and rescue mission, as some hoped that passengers were trapped and unable to surface, which was fuelled by the hopes brought by a banging heard from inside the sub every 30 minutes.
Following an investigation though, experts could not determine where the banging noises were coming from, as it was concluded that the sub had completely imploded.
One of the most harrowing details of the submersible's failed trip though, was the alleged uncovered audio from the passengers in the submersible itself.
The transcript apparently described the conversations going on between passengers on board the doomed Titan submersible and the mother ship during its descent has been found to be completely fake.
The 'transcript' from the submersible was found to be fake. (OceanGate/Becky Kagan Schott)The communications record was made public last year, but it raised doubts due to a number of worrying occurrences that turned the submersible's attempt to reach the bottom of the Atlantic into a last-ditch fight for survival.
It was done to document the five passengers' ultimately failed attempts to return to the surface - but the leader of the US federal investigation team has stated that the transcript is not real.
An extensive investigation into the matter that lasted almost a year found the team unable to find any evidence that suggested that the Titan's occupants were aware of their impending deaths.
The pressure at two miles below the surface, which is around 4850 pounds per square inch would have caused the submersible's hull to completely disintegrate.
Chairman of the Marine Board of Investigation and retired U.S. Coast Guard officer Captain Jason D. Neubauer told The New York Times: "I have no doubt that this transcript is fake,
"It was made up - it's unclear who the fake document's initial source was."
The fake transcript came to the fore just days after the submersible's implosion, surfacing in late June and apparently documenting minute-by-minute conversations that included technical terms and accurate descriptions, making it sound believable.
The Chairman of the Marine Board of Investigation in the US has confirmed that it was fake. (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)The R.T.M, or Real Time Hull Health Monitoring system, was the main subject of the transcript, with the crew focusing on hull alarms and cracking sounds in a panic before being cut off from communications.
OceanGate stated that the device features 'an unprecedented safety function that assesses the integrity of the hull throughout every dive' to alert users to possible problems.
Neubauer claimed: "Somebody did it well enough to make it look plausible."
He added that the log made those on board 'look like they were panicking', as the fake transcript revealed reports to the mother ship that there were several hull alarms along with crackling sounds.
A notice about the sensor even said 'RTM alert active all red', with the transcript ending after the mothership sent seven communications asking about its whereabouts, asking: "Please respond if you're able."
Neubauer said he hopes the truth will give console the men's families that they didn't suffer in their final moments.Featured Image Credit: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images / OceanGate/Becky Kagan Schott
Topics: Titan Submersible, Titanic, News, World News
Joshua Nair
Updated 08:14 18 Jun 2024 GMT+1Published 08:16 18 Jun 2024 GMT+1
Mum who lost her husband and son on Titan submersible issues plea one year after their tragic deaths
The submersible disappeared a year ago today
Joe Harker
A year ago today (18 June) OceanGate's Titan submersible went missing with five people on board.
The vessel had been diving down to the wreckage of the Titanic, but the sub itself had faced serious safety concerns from experts and five people died because of it.
OceanGate boss Stockton Rush, French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, businessman Hamish Harding and father and son duo Shahzada and Suleman Dawood were those who died on board the Titan.
After contact was lost with the vessel it prompted a massive search and rescue effort as the clock ticked down to when the sub would run out of air, with a rhythmic banging noise giving some people hope that they might simply be trapped underwater.
Experts stressed that they didn't know what the banging was and debris from the sub was later found, which pointed towards a catastrophic implosion killing all on board shortly after contact was lost.
Christine Dawood lit candles in memory of her husband and son. (BBC)Christine Dawood, the wife of Shahzada and mum to Suleman, commemorated the anniversary of the doomed sub's disappearance and posted pictures of two lit candles.
She also urged others to do something similar if they were missing dear people in their lives.
Writing on Facebook, she said: "When people pass, they take a piece of you with them.
"As the one-year anniversary is coming closer, I'm reflecting back on a time that nearly broke me, and yet the love and support I've received was, and still is, so huge that I can't feel anything but being grateful.
"I miss them every day, every hour, every minute, they will never be replaced. With these candles, I'd like to send their light to anyone who's open enough to receive it.
"I'd like to thank everyone for their love and prayers. I felt them and they helped.
"Light a candle for the missing people in your life and send their light into the world."
Father Shahzada and son Suleman Dawood died in the Titan disaster. (Dawood Family)She had previously said she had 'complicated' feelings about the Titan sub disaster, saying that Stockton Rush was 'not my favourite person in this mess'.
"Alina and I went on deck. Until that moment we'd had hope," Christine said of the moment she knew her husband and son would not resurface.
"We took some cushions with us and just sat there looking out at the ocean. We were both crying.
"I turned to her and said: 'I'm a widow now.' She said: 'Yes, and I'm a single child.' Then we cried even more.
"It's the waking up every morning that's . . . sometimes I still don't believe it.
"The possibility of it [Titan] imploding never crossed our minds. To lose a husband is terrible, but when you lose a child.
"I love being a mother. I have Alina, but I never wanted to be a single mother to an only child.
"No parent should have to grieve for their child. It's unnatural. All of a sudden your purpose, your identity, is ripped away from you."
