The world is catching its first look at what’s left of the Titan submersible. New photos released by Paul Daly of The Canadian Press show a group of men removing pieces of the Titan wreckage from the M/V Horizon Arctic at the Canadian Coast Guard pier in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador on June 28.
One photo shows three men guiding a large white panel onto land, while another photo shows the men guiding a second large piece – this one equipped with wires and other electrical components. The pieces were recovered by Pelagic Research Services, who say they’ve ‘successfully completed’ off-shore work.
The United States Coast Guard released a statement confirming the recovery of what they’re describing as ‘debris and evidence.’ The pieces will now be transported from Canada to a port in the US, where the Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) will continue its investigation and further its analysis and testing.
In addition to the Titan wreckage, the US Coast Guard is confirming that ‘presumed human remains’ were ‘carefully recovered within the wreckage at the site of the incident.’ The MBI will conduct a formal analysis of the remains, which are presumed to be that of the five passengers on board when the Titan imploded.
“I am grateful for the coordinated international and interagency support to recover and preserve this vital evidence at extreme offshore distances and depths,” MBI Chair Captain, Jason Neubauer, said on June 28 – adding that the evidence will provide investigators with critical insight into what caused the tragedy.
While evidence and human remains have been recovered, the MBI still has a long way to go. “There is still a substantial amount of work to be done to understand the factors that led to the catastrophic loss of the TITAN and help ensure a similar tragedy does not occur again,” Neubauer continued in the statement
The news comes less than a week after the Coast Guard confirmed what many had already believed – the Titan submersible succumbed to the pressure and imploded roughly 900 miles off the coast of Cape Cod. The implosion was detected by the Navy hours before the submersible was reported as missing.
Who Were the Five Passengers Aboard the ‘Titan?’
The Titan submersible, which was owned and operated by OceanGate Expeditions, set out on its adventure on June 18. With five passengers on board, the Titan was on its way to explore the Titanic wreckage, which lies 2.5 miles below the surface, when it suddenly imploded – killing all passengers.
The five passengers on the Titan were Hamish Harding (chairman of Action Aviation), Shahzada Dawood (vice chairman of Engro and Dawood Hercules Corp.), Suleman Dawood (19-year-old son of Shahzada), Paul-Henri Nargeolet (French deep sea explorer), and Stockton Rush (OceanGate CEO).
It was later revealed that Wendy Rush, the wife of Stockton Rush, was the great-great-granddaughter of Isidor Straus and Ida Straus – two first-class passengers on board the original Titanic, which sank to the ocean floor 111 years ago. They refused to board a lifeboat and were eventually swept away by a wave.
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The couple’s story was depicted in the 1998 Titanic film, which was directed by James Cameron – an avid deep see explorer, himself. In other tragic news, it was revealed that the actor who portrayed Isidor Straus in the film – Lew Palter – has passed away at 94 years old (just days after the Titan imploded).