After days of searching for the missing Titan submarine that disappeared during its dive to see the remains of the Titanic, the passengers are now confirmed dead by the United States Coast Guard.
This conclusion came after both the estimated amount of oxygen in the vessel ran out and evidence of a catastrophic implosion was discovered.
The company that operated the submarine made clear its position in a statement released on Thursday evening.
“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”, an OceanGate statement declared.
🚨 Breaking News
All five people onboard on #Submersible are all very sadly died, #OceanGate confirms. This video shows how the accident happened with the submarine. 💔#Titanic #Titan pic.twitter.com/W82X9OawuD— WOLF™️ (@thepakwolf) June 22, 2023
“Those men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans.
“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”, it further said.
Approximately 1,600ft from the bow of the Titanic wreckage, it has been confirmed that the tail cone of the missing sub has been recovered on the seafloor.
This was confirmed by Rear Admiral John Mauger, who was entrusted with leading the search for the submarine.
Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, 19, were two of the five victims killed instantly when the OceanGate submersible suffered a ‘catastrophic implosion’ just 1,600ft from the bow of the Titanic, the US Coast Guard announced on Thursday.
The other victims were OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French Navy veteran Paul-Henri (PH) Nargeolet and British billionaire Hamish Harding.
Among them was a university student who was killed in the tragic Titanic submarine ‘implosion’ was ‘terrified’ about the trip and only joined the crew to please his dad for Father’s Day, his heartbroken aunt has revealed.
Tragically, Azmeh Dawood – the older sister of Mr Dawood, who is vice chairman of Engro Corporation – told NBC News that her nephew ‘wasn’t very up for it’ but felt compelled to please his father, who was passionate about the 1912 shipwreck.
‘I am thinking of Suleman, who is 19, in there, just perhaps gasping for breath … It’s been crippling, to be honest,’ she told the US outlet from her home in Amsterdam.
She added: ‘I feel disbelief. It’s an unreal situation.’
Azmeh, who like the other anxious relatives were hoping for a miracle, continued: ‘I feel like I’ve been caught in a really bad film, with a countdown, but you didn’t know what you’re counting down to.’
She said she ‘personally found it kind of difficult to breathe thinking of them’, adding: ‘It’s been unlike any experience I’ve ever had’.
Further debris was found nearby, which Mauger also confirmed via a US Coast Guard statement.
“In consultation with experts from within unified command, the debris is consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber,” Mauger declared.
“On behalf of the US Coast Guard and entire unified command, I offer deepest condolences to the families.
“I can only imagine what this has been like for them and I hope this discovery provides some solace during this difficult time”.
However, when pressed by a Sky News reporter, the Rear Admiral refused to confirm whether any bodies had been discovered.
“This is an incredibly complex operating environment on the seafloor, over two miles beneath the surface”, he said.
“The remote operating vehicle has been searching, and it’s highly capable, and we’ve been able to classify parts of the pressure chamber for the Titan submersible. However, it’s an incredibly unforgiving environment on the seafloor”.
