Watch: Video shows moment the OceanGate submersible implosion reaches the ocean surface
The video, provided to the United States Coast Guard as part of their investigation shows the communications and tracking team for the Titan submersible sitting side by side monitoring data from aboard the support vessel Polar Prince, anchored near the Titanic wreck site.
Recently released footage from inside the ship communicating with the Titan submersible appears to show the moment the sub imploded deep under water in the North Atlantic Ocean, killing all five onboard in June 2023.Â
The expedition meant to bring passengers down to explore the wreck of the Titanic and scour the surrounding area, was instead found in pieces at the bottom of the ocean 500 metres away from the front end of the Titanic wreck.
The Titan, built by OceanGate Expeditions and led by CEO Stockton Rush who was piloting the vessel at the time of the implosion, has been since criticized as having cut corners to save on building costs, using materials that were not fit to withstand the immense pressure of ocean dives, including relying on the use of an xbox video game controller to steer the sub.Â
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Newly released video shows staff aboard a support vessel reacting to a sound that is now believed to be the moment when the Titan submersible imploded in the Atlantic Ocean on June 18, 2023.
Those killed aboard the submarine, include British billionaire Hamish Harding, French explorer and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son, Suleman.
The video, provided to the United States Coast Guard as part of their investigation by the now defunct, OceanGate, Inc., shows Wendy Rush, wife of Stockton Rush, and Gary Foss, part of the communications and tracking team for the Titan submersible sitting side by side monitoring data from aboard the support vessel Polar Prince, anchored near the Titanic wreck site.
Less than 30 seconds into the clip, after just acknowledging the submarine has 400 metres left to descend, a slight boom sound can be heard followed by Rush turning to Foss and asking “what was that loud bang?” No one appears immediately concerned with the sound.
The noise, which has since been found to match the time the support vessel lost communications with the Titan, is now believed to be the sound of the Titan’s implosion reaching the surface of the ocean.
As part of the investigation, hearings were held in 2024. The family of one of the victims, Nargeolet, has filed a lawsuit citing that all five passengers likely experienced “terror and anguish” in their final moments.
Meanwhile, Netflix, is set to release a documentary delving into the lead up to the disaster and the fallout of the investigation in “Titan: The OceanGate Disaster,” which premieres June 11.
Reagan McSwain is a Toronto-based general assignment reporter
for the Star. Reach him via email: rmcswain@thestar.ca
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