Nothing found so far in search for Titanic-bound submarine, contrary to viral claim | Fact check

BrieAnna J. Frank, USA TODAY
Updated ·2 min read
8

The claim: Missing Titanic-bound submersible was found empty

A June 21 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows a screenshot of a purported CNN article claiming a major discovery was made in the search for a missing submersibles that had been heading for the Titanic wreck site.

“Missing OceanGate Submarine Found Empty,” reads the headline of the article, which goes on to claim the company’s co-founder, who is identified as Wendy Rush, made the assertion.

The post was shared more than 6,000 times in less than a day.

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Our rating: False

Neither the submersibles nor its occupants had been found as of June 21. Wendy Rush is not the co-founder of OceanGate, and CNN said it never reported any such story.

Underwater sounds detected in search area, but vessel and passengers still missing

A vessel carrying five people lost contact with its support ship less than two hours after it took off for the Titanic wreck site June 18.

The Coast Guard said June 21, after this post was made, that search efforts were ongoing but had so far been unsuccessful. Later that same day, Coast Guard officials said they were “exponentially” expanding the search, as USA TODAY reported.

The Coast Guard said June 20 that a Canadian aircraft detected “underwater noises in the search area,” and search crews on June 19 heard “banging” and “acoustic feedback” sounds, as USA TODAY and the Associated Press reported. The sounds were also detected June 21.

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Despite the post's claim, there is no such CNN article on the news outlet’s website, and CNN told USA TODAY the claim is false.

“This isn’t CNN reporting and is completely fabricated,” said spokesperson Sydney Baldwin. “It’s not even our design.”

Wendy Rush is not the co-founder of OceanGate, a deep-sea exploration company. The company’s website identifies its founder as Stockton Rush, and Wendy Rush’s LinkedIn profile says she is the communications director for the company.

This photo provided by OceanGate Expeditions shows a submersible vessel named Titan used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic. In a race against the clock on the high seas, an expanding international armada of ships and airplanes searched Tuesday, June 20, 2023, for the submersible that vanished in the North Atlantic while taking five people down to the wreck of the Titanic. (OceanGate Expeditions via AP) ORG XMIT: NYPS209

USA TODAY reached out to the Coast Guard and OceanGate for comment but did not immediately receive responses. The user who shared the post said they first saw the claim on Twitter and that it "might be a hoax."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: False claim missing sub was found without passengers | Fact check