The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed the deaths of the five people who were traveling aboard the submersible that disappeared on Sunday, June 18, 2023. The objective was to visit the remains of the Titanic.
In the morning, the great concern was that the 96-hour barrier had been crossed regarding the possible lack of oxygen. However, when the remains of the submersible were found today, the real cause was different.
Titanic Expedition: The Cause Of Death
The remains of the aircraft were found by a remotely controlled vehicle (ROV) operated by the Canadian ship Horizon Arctic and later experts determined that “they are consistent with a catastrophic implosion”, that is, a rupture and sinking caused by the increased pressure from outside.
Rear Admiral John Mauger, of the U.S. Coast Guard, said that the bodies of the five people have not been found and, although there is no longer hope of finding them alive, what will follow is the recovery of remains of the aircraft to explain what happened with certainty.
Through the debris, specialists could explain when the implosion occurred and also what the causes of the accident were. “Right now it is too early to say,” explained the rear admiral, who did specify that the sonar buoys that were placed in the sea detected several sounds but did not perceive “any catastrophic event”.
Who died in the submersible?
In the submersible were Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood with his son Suleman, a 19-year-old student; the British explorer Hamish Harding; the French explorer Paul-Henry Nargeolet and the CEO of the firm OceanGate, Stockton Rush.
“Following this determination, we immediately notify families on behalf of the U.S. Coast Guard and the entire unified command. I offer my deepest condolences to the families,” Mauger said.
According to underwater expert Paul Hanken, “five main pieces” were found that they recognized as “remains of the Titan.” The first thing found was “the cone of the nose, which was outside the pressure room.” “We found the bell at the front of the pressure room and this was the first indication that there was a catastrophic event shortly after,” he said.
The company that owns the submersible, OceanGate, confirmed the death of the crew members minutes before the Coast Guard press conference. Through a statement distributed to the media, the company said: “We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have unfortunately been lost.”
What happened to the submersible?
This morning the United States Coast Guard had reported through social networks that it had found “a debris field within the search area near the Titanic”, at a depth of about 3800 meters. Rescue efforts began last Sunday and focused on an area located approximately 1,450 kilometers (1,450 kilometers) from Cape Cod in Massachusetts.
It was last Monday when the company reported that it had not had contact with the submersible since Sunday. From that same Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard began an extensive search operation with the help of Canada to locate the aircraft.
Read also: VIDEO: Terrifying Waterspout Formed In Tulum Captured by Tourists
Troops and resources from the US, Canada, France, and the United Kingdom participated in the search, with aircraft, boats, and underwater drones. The mission to go down to see the remains of the ship, sunk in 1912 after colliding with an iceberg, should have lasted ten hours. OceanGate Expeditions owned and operated the submersible, which was used to conduct deep-sea expeditions.
On its website, the company offers eight-day, seven-night trips to visit the wreck of the Titanic, which is about 3,800 meters deep, for an approximate price of $250,000.
Where are the wrecks of the Titanic?
The wreck of the Titanic is located 3800 meters on the seabed and about 600 kilometers off the coast of Newfoundland in Canada. In recent decades, the area has been visited several times by scientists, explorers, tourists, and, of course, film directors such as James Cameron.
Thousands of objects have been recovered that show what a first-class ship was like at that time; however, with time, the condition of the Titanic has deteriorated due to the constant growth of bacteria. That is why, starting in 2001, UNESCO included the remains in its famous Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage.
What happened to the Titanic?
The passenger line in charge of the Titanic was the largest in the world at the beginning of the twentieth century. On April 15, 1912, the ship sank after hitting an iceberg during its journey from Southampton (England) to New York (United States).
Of the 2200 passengers who started the journey, more than 1500 lost their lives. The remains of the boat were discovered in 1985 and, from that moment on, specialists began underwater trips to understand what happened. Sometime later, the experience was opened to tourists.
For many years it was believed that the Titanic had sunk in one piece. However, the 1985 expedition led by Jean-Louis Michel and Robert Ballard changed the entire historical perspective. Thanks to that investigation, experts determined that the Titanic had “split” near the surface before sinking.
Why was it called Titanic?
Being the largest ship in the world at the time, the name Titanic was given to remember the famous “Titans” of Greek mythology. The ship was built in the city of Belfast and on the day it set sail, April 10, dozens of international media covered the event.
Titanic was part of a spectacular three-cruise project alongside RMS Olympic and HMHS Britannic. For the White Star Line company, that initiative would revolutionize the world. It was a key moment in the face of stiff competition from their rival, Cunard.
In cultural matters, the Titanic has become an impressive phenomenon worldwide that has given rise to films, books, poems, and songs about the shipwreck. Of course, the most famous reference is the 1997 film directed by James Cameron that launched Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio to fame winning eleven Oscars.
This article was written originally in Spanish by Miguel Fernández in Cultura Colectiva
