The intense hunt for a five-person submersible that went missing recently has ended, as fragments of the vessel were found indicating a probable “catastrophic implosion,” the US Coast Guard said.
The submersible disappeared early Sunday morning as it was transporting tourists to witness the submerged remains of the Titanic near the southeastern coast of Canada. It was equipped with a 96-hour oxygen reserve, which was anticipated to be depleted by Thursday morning, leaving the passengers in a dire situation.
Earlier in the day, OceanGate issued a statement saying that it believes the passengers aboard the missing Titanic submersible have, regrettably, met with a tragic fate.
The company stated on Thursday that it now holds the belief that Stockton Rush (CEO), Shahzada Dawood, Suleman Dawood (his son), Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet have all been lost.
“We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost,” the company said in a statement, according to CNN.
In the statement, OceanGate acknowledged these individuals as genuine explorers who embodied a remarkable sense of adventure and a profound commitment to exploring and preserving the Earth’s oceans.
“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 wreckage found within the designated search area of the submersible has been identified as part of the sub’s external structure. The debris, located approximately 500 meters (about a third of a mile) off the Titanic’s bow, was spotted by the US Coast Guard at around 8:55 a.m. ET on the ocean floor.
