Much, and at the same time very little, is known about Titan, the submarine that disappeared on June 19, 2023, during an expedition in which five people were traveling with the illusion of seeing the wreck of the Titanic.
This June 22, the last 96 hours of the submersible with oxygen were completed, which for the experts evolved from a rescue mission to one of body recovery. Yesterday (June 21), it was reported that some noises were heard every 30 minutes for four hours; however, what seemed to be a hope to find the crew members, was no longer so this morning.
Today, it was reported that debris from the Titan had been found, and David Mearns, the diving expert and in close contact with one of the crew members, confirmed that they, indeed, belong to the missing submersible.
“It’s a landing gear and a rear deck of the submersible,” the expert told the BBC, citing the president of the Explorers Club as the source of his information. “This is an unconventional submarine. That rear deck is its pointy end, and the landing structure is the small structure it appears to be resting on,” David said.
The US Coast Guard confirmed the Death of the Crew Members of the Titan Submarine
This Thursday, June 22, the first press conference following the disappearance of the Titan submarine was held, in which more details of the rescue process were revealed. Unfortunately, the Coast Guard confirmed the death of the five crew members who were traveling on the Titan and indicated that their families have already been notified.
What Happened to the Titan Submarine?
John Mauger, Rear Admiral of the US Coast Guard, explained that the first hypothesis about what happened to the Titan is that it imploded, that is to say, that the submersible collapsed on itself. The expert stressed, without going into great detail, that despite what was confirmed, they are going to continue with the search operation in the determined area.
“There was speculation that it may have collided with the wreckage of the Titanic. What I can tell you is that the wreckage we found was 600 ft from the distinguishable debris field, and that is where we could find the remains of the passengers,” said the rear admiral.
What Were the Sounds They Picked Up?
John Mauger commented that the sounds captured on June 21 and appeared to be hopeful would have no clear relationship to the field where the wreckage of the submarine was found. “What we can confirm is that there was an implosion that we could have detected in this way with underwater acoustic technology,” he said.
He also highlighted “The debris field coincides with the remains of the submarine, the debris field where we detected the sounds. We will continue investigating, documenting to create a timeline.”
Search for the Bodies Will Continue (Although It’s Almost Impossible)
The Rear Admiral of the US Coast Guard affirmed that the search for the remains of the crew members’ bodies will continue, although he stressed that it is an almost impossible mission since everything indicates that the submersible imploded. He emphasized that for the search, in the next 24 hours, “we have 9 active ships, medical personnel, and submarine experts.” After this, the investigation will continue remotely, and so far it is not known when it will be suspended.
The Death of Submarine Crew Members Regretted
Finally, Mauger regretted the death of the five people who paid 250 thousand dollars to see the wreckage of the Titanic, which ended in a terrible tragedy. “We are trying to give some explanation to help them in their grief. We will continue to investigate the wreckage debris area and be that there are many questions, and we will try to answer as we get more information,” he promised.
“It is a painful moment for us and the families of the victims, but we had a lot of support, and we have equipment,” he added, adding that for now there are no plans for a new press conference.
Story written in Spanish by Nayeli Párraga in Cultura Colectiva
