A missing submersible with five people aboard has been found in the wreckage of the Titanic, confirming the tragic death of all individuals on board
The submersible, named Titan and operated by OceanGate Expeditions, went missing during a voyage to explore the famous sunken ship.
The wreckage was located by an unmanned deep-sea robot deployed from a Canadian ship, approximately 1,600 feet (488 meters) from the bow of the Titanic and 2-1/2 miles (4 km) below the surface.
According to U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger, the debris found is consistent with a catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber.
Rescue teams from various countries had been conducting an extensive search effort, using planes and ships to scour thousands of square miles of open seas in hopes of finding any signs of the submersible.
The individuals on board the submersible included British billionaire and explorer Hamish Harding, Pakistani-born business magnate Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, French oceanographer and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and Stockton Rush, the American founder and CEO of OceanGate, who was piloting the submersible.
Despite initial hope generated by the detection of undersea noises, analysis revealed that the sounds were inconclusive and might not have originated from the Titan.
Additionally, the estimated air supply on board was expected to last only 96 hours, which would have been depleted by Thursday morning.
The tragic incident has attracted significant attention due to the allure surrounding the Titanic and its historical significance.
The expedition to the Titanic wreck, operated by OceanGate since 2021, was a high-profile endeavor, costing $250,000 per person. Safety concerns regarding the Titan had been raised in the past, further complicating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The search effort, covering an area equivalent to the size of the U.S. state of Massachusetts, involved extensive resources.
Specialized deep-sea unmanned vehicles were deployed to explore the depths of the ocean, where extreme pressure and darkness posed significant challenges to any potential rescue mission.
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