Submarine “Titan” Photo: 24tv
The first image of a submarine
The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday released the first image of the tourist submarine Titan on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean since last year’s disaster that killed five people on board. This is reported by israelinfo.
Circumstances of the disaster
Last June, all five people on board died during the final dive to the wreckage of the sunken Titanic. According to the main version, the passengers died instantly on June 18, when after about 90 minutes of diving, an implosion occurred – an explosion due to a sharp drop in pressure inside.
Photo from the crash site
A photo released Monday shows the damaged tail cone of the submersible lying on the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean. The tail cone has separated from the rest of the vessel, its edges are torn off, and a torn fragment is visible nearby.
Investigation process
The wreckage was found several hundred yards from where the Titanic sank after days of searching, investigators said at a hearing in North Charleston, South Carolina, which will continue until September 27.
In its opening presentation, the Maritime Board of Inquiry said the tail cone and other debris were discovered by a remotely operated vehicle on June 22 last year, providing “compelling evidence” of a catastrophic internal collapse of the underwater vehicle caused by immense pressure.
Submarine passengers
On board the “Titan” were: Stockton Rush – the founder and executive director of OceanGate Expeditions, the ship’s manager, Hamish Harding – a British businessman and explorer, the owner of several Guinness world records, including the record for the longest crossing of the deepest part of the ocean in one dive, Pol- Henri Nargeole is a French marine expert who has made more than 35 dives to the Titanic wreck site, as well as British-Pakistani billionaire Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleiman.
Identification of remains
The recovered remains have been identified by DNA testing as belonging to five of the vessel’s passengers, the Maritime Board of Investigation confirmed on Monday.
Witnesses and last message
On Monday, the board called its first witnesses, including former employees of OceanGate, the firm that designed and operated the submersible. The presentation also featured the last message from the sub just six seconds before it lost contact with the surface. “Dropped two cargoes,” the message read, referring to the cargoes that the submersible could have dropped in hopes of surfacing. A few seconds later, the mothership lost the ship’s signal.
Purpose of listening
While the primary purpose of the hearing is to “find the facts surrounding the incident,” board chairman Jason Neubauer acknowledged Monday that the panel is also tasked with finding “misconduct or negligence on the part of the sailors.” “And if any criminal activity is found, we will make a recommendation to the Department of Justice,” he said.
