First Picture Of Titan Sub After Its Implosion Revealed As Last Words Of Crew Confirmed

By maks in News On 16th September 2024
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The final words from the crew of an experimental submersible headed for the Titanic wreck have been revealed.

On Monday, September 16, the US Coast Guard shared an animation during the first day of what is expected to be a two-week hearing. 

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The goal of the hearing is to investigate the causes of the sub's implosion and determine if any criminal activity contributed to the disaster.

Among those who tragically lost their lives were British adventurer Hamish Harding, along with Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman.

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Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, and French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet also died in the incident.

Shahzada Dawood was a businessman based in London and an adviser to Prince's Trust International, a charity associated with King Charles.

The Titan submersible PA

His son Suleman was a student at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.

According to the presentation, the crew of the Titan submersible communicated with the Polar Prince, the support vessel, through text messages.

Their last message was, "all good."

The crew lost contact with the Polar Prince after several messages from the support team asking about the submersible’s depth and weight during its descent.

During the hearing, an image of the Titan submersible was shown, with the tail of the vessel stuck vertically on the seabed.

These images were taken by a remotely operated vehicle on June 22, 2023, just days after the sub's implosion.

The disaster sparked a global conversation about the safety and future of private deep-sea exploration.

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The ongoing hearing in Charleston County, South Carolina, aims to uncover the facts behind the tragedy and make recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future. 

In a statement earlier this month, the Coast Guard explained that the Marine Board of Investigation, which is conducting the hearing, represents the highest level of marine casualty investigation.

The first image of the Titan after its implosion Pelagic Research Services

Once the hearing wraps up, the recommendations will be sent to the Coast Guard's commandant.

“There are no words to ease the loss endured by the families impacted by this tragic incident,” said Jason Neubauer of the Coast Guard’s Office of Investigations. 

“But we hope that this hearing will help shed light on the cause of the tragedy and prevent anything like this from happening again.”

According to MailOnline, ten former OceanGate employees are expected to testify during the hearing.

While many questions about the safety of deep-sea explorations remain, earlier this year, billionaire Larry Connor expressed interest in building another sub similar to the Titan.

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He wanted to use it to visit the Titanic wreck himself. 

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal in May, Connor said, "I want to show people worldwide that while the ocean is extremely powerful, it can be wonderful and enjoyable and really kind of life-changing if you go about it the right way."

However, his plans might change depending on the outcome of the current hearing, which will conclude in two weeks.