Titanic sub update: Details about design of submarine may reveal how it imploded as human remains found

The innovative design of the Titan submersible may have led to its downfall, experts have said.

The elongated design of the sub combined with the repeated stress the hull faced over the years could have contributed to the implosion that occurred on Sunday, 18 June.

Each time OceanGate Expeditions’ sub went for a dive, the five-inch thick hull could have developed tiny cracks.

“This might be small and undetectable to start but would soon become critical and produce rapid and uncontrollable growth,” Jasper Graham-Jones, an associate professor at the University of Plymouth told Associated Press.

Five people were killed in the sub, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, French diving expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood.

The analysis of the submersible’s structure comes after the US Coast Guard announced “presumed human remains” were discovered in the wreck of the Titan submarine.

The remains will be brought back to the US and analysed as part of the wider international investigation into what went wrong during the catastrophic voyage to the Titanic shipwreck earlier this month.

Key points

• First photos of Titan wreckage released

• US Coast Guard recovers ‘presumed human remains’ from sea floor near Titanic sub debris

• Hamish Harding’s friend reveals race to get ROV to site of doomed sub

• Mother of teenager killed in Titanic sub implosion gave up spot for ‘excited’ son

• Why we are obsessed with the missing Titan submarine, according to experts

Deep sea rescue company boss gets emotional describing Titan search

15:00 , Ariana Baio

Edward Cassano, Pelagic Research Services CEO, held back tears as he described the moment the Titan submersible search and rescue turned “into a recovery.”

Just hours after arriving, Pelagic Research Services found debris from the imploded sub and relayed the information to the victim’s families.

Mr Cassano was speaking to press at the conclusion of the search, when he said: “We have to apologise - there are a lot of emotions, and people are tired.”

Watch: Deep sea rescue company boss gets emotional describing Titan search

The ROV that discovered the debris

13:00 , Ariana Baio

Pelagic Research Services’s remotely-operated vehicle (ROV), Odysseus, was flown-in to the site of the Titanic wreckage to assist in the international search for any sign of the five passengers or the Titan.

Odysseus is one of the few ROVs that can reach the depths where the Titanic wreckage sits at 12,500 feet (3,700 metres). Until Odysseus was able to reach the ocean floor, the US Coast Guard and US Navy were unable to determine where the sub went or if it had surely imploded.

Titanic actor Lew Palter dies

11:00 , Ariana Baio

Lew Palter, the actor best known for his role as Isidor Straus in James Cameron’s 1997 epic Titanic, died aged 94 on 21 May.

Palter died on 21 May of lung cancer at his home in Los Angeles, his daughter, Catherine Palter, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Watch: Janet Street-Porter questions ‘morality’ of Titanic submarine tourism

09:00 , Ariana Baio

Actor who took Titanic sub reveals how it ran out of batteries mid-voyage

07:00 , Ariana Baio

A Mexican actor who last year undertook an undersea voyage on the same Titanic-bound Titan submersible that has gone missing said he was lost in the depths of the sea for two hours.

Alan Estrada said the battery of OceanGate’s Titan submersible drained mid-voyage, forcing the vessel to return to save the lives of its passengers.

The Youtuber said he secured a $125,000 excursion to see the world’s biggest shipwreck last July, after getting delayed by a year for unspecified reasons. The price, which was paid for by a sponsor for the trip, had doubled by then to $250,000.

“My biggest concern was obviously losing my life,” Mr Estrada said. “All the people who made this expedition … we are aware of the risks we are taking. It’s not a surprise.”

A spokesperson for the mothership which launched the missing submersible defended OceanGate, saying it runs an “extremely safe operation” after questions were raised about safety. The submersible Titan is run by OceanGate.

Sean Leet, co-founder and chairman of Horizon Maritime Services, which owns the Polar Prince mothership from which Titan was launched, said: “OceanGate runs an extremely safe operation.”

Inside the Titan submersible

05:00 , Ariana Baio

The vessel weighs 10,432kg in total and can travel at a maximum speed of three knots, made possible by Four Innerspace 1002 electric thrusters.

The tourists and scientists who typically ride in it are able to look out via a large viewport window, their perspective enhanced by Sub C Imaging 4k Rayfin exterior cameras that capture the surrounding marine environment in a live feed that is displayed on a large digital display.

There is little by way of comfort inside but there is a toilet, although privacy is limited because it is situated right next to the viewing window.

Most astonishingly, the craft is controlled by a generic video games controller – specifically a Logitech F710 Wireless PC Gamepad from 2011, according to gaming expert Matthew Ruddle – and, rather than using a GPS for navigation, it communicates with a tracking team aboard a surface ship, in this case the Polar Prince, via text messages.

Head of Titanic sub recovery team dodges question about OceanGate

04:00 , Ariana Baio

Since the Titan submersible imploded, killing five people aboard, the subject of extreme tourism has been highly debated online and by professionals.

But when the CEO of Pelagic Research Services, the company that helped oversee the recovery mission of the submersible, was asked what his thoughts were on the trips OceanGate took to the Titanic he claimed he did not have a strong opinion.

“I don’t necessarily have an opinion on that, it’s a strong investigation going on right now,” Edward Cassano said in a press conference on Friday.

Mr Cassano helped lead the team of people from Pelagic Research Services who used their remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to find the debris from the submersible last week.

During the press conference, he became visibly upset when speaking about the five people who died while on a trip to view the Titanic wreckage and asked people to remain respectful about the tragedy.

But despite being part of the widely-viewed search, rescue and recovery mission, Mr Cassano did not express negative thoughts on extreme tourism.

“Explorers, people who seek to be on the ocean to go to depth, it’s very compelling,” Mr Cassano said. “We certainly share those desires, our whole company is designed to support research and design at depth.”

“It was a passion and a joy for exploration,” he added.

Canadian police weigh criminal investigation over Titan sub disaster

03:00 , Ariana Baio

Police in Canada announced on Saturday that they are considering a criminal investigation over the deaths of five men in the Oceangate submersible implosion.

Superintendent Kent Osmond of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Newfoundland and Labrador said law enforcement were in the early stages of the probe.

“Following the US Coast Guard’s announcement earlier this week that debris from the submersible was located and all five on board were presumed dead, we will now look at the circumstances that led to those deaths,” Mr Osmond said, at a press conference.

“Such an investigation will proceed only if our examination of the circumstances indicate criminal, federal or provincial laws may possibly have been broken.”

The Independent reports:

Canadian police weigh criminal investigation over Titan sub disaster

OceanGate got $450,000 in Covid pandemic aid

02:00 , Ariana Baio

OceanGate, the company behind the ill-fated Titanic sub, received more than $450,000 in aid during the Covid pandemic.

The Washington-based company received $447,000 in loans and the government forgave it $450,074, with interest.

The Payment Protection Program loans were made through Washington Trust Bank and approved on 10 April 2020 when the company had 22 employees, according to a ProPublica database.

How the deep-sea tragedy unfolded

01:00 , Ariana Baio

Sunday (18 June)

The Polar Prince icebreaker sailed around 900 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, where it set anchor.

The five-person crew was dropped into the ocean in their 22-foot long submersible vessel, the Titan, around 8am EST the submersible was launched, according to the US Coast Guard

One hour and 45 minutes later, the vessel lost contact with the Polar Prince.

According to the Coast Guard, the sub was meant to surface at 3pm EST.

When it failed to resurface, the crew raised the alarm with authorities at 5.40pm EST.

Monday (19 June)

On Monday morning, authorities revealed the Titan was missing and a large-scale search operation had been launched.

At 1.30pm, the US Coastguard’s Northeast tweeted that a C-130 Hercules reconnaissance aircraft had been dispatched to search for the Titan. P8 Poseidon aircraft with underwater sonar capabilities joined the search on Monday afternoon.

Tuesday (20 June)

OceanGate confirmed that its chief executive and founder Stockton Rush is “aboard the submersible as a member of the crew”.

A Canadian Aircraft P3 Aurora joined the effort, as the search area expanded to 10,000sqm.

During the press conference on Tuesday, Captain Frederick said there were around 40 to 41 hours of oxygen left on the submersible.

He said that a “unified command” of multiple agencies had been formed to tackle the “very complex problem” of finding the vessel but so far this had “not yielded any results”.

Wednesday (21 June)

According to internal e-mail updates sent to Department of Homeland Security leadership, the Canadian aircraft detected “banging” noises every 30 minutes.

The US Coast Guard on Wednesday morning said: “Canadian P-3 aircraft detected underwater noises in the search area. As a result, ROV (remote operating vehicles) operations were relocated in an attempt to explore the origin of the noises.

“Those ROV searches have yielded negative results but continue.

Captain Jamie Frederick of the US Coast Guard confirmed that the vessel had less than 24 hours of oxygen supply left. He also acknowledged that officials do not know if crews will be able to rescue the people on board even if they do manage to find the sub before the oxygen runs out.

Thursday (22 June)

The air supply on the missing Titanic tourist submarine came down to its last hours, as rescue workers continued their increasingly desperate search for the five stranded passengers.

Soon after that deadline passed, officials announced a “debris field” had been found in the search area.

Five crew members were later confirmed to have died after the Titanic tourist submarine suffered a “catastrophic explosion”.

Family of billionaire explorer on Titanic sub say instant death from implosion was ‘best outcome’

Saturday 1 July 2023 00:00 , Ariana Baio

Kathleen Cosnett, the cousin of explorer Hamish Harding who died in the submersible trip to the Titanic says his death as the vessel imploded was the “best outcome” compared with the crew slowly running out of oxygen.

Elon Musk suggests the connection between Starlink and the sub was a 'psyop’

Friday 30 June 2023 23:00 , Ariana Baio

Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter and SpaceX, responded to a tweet made by Snopes, suggesting the connection between Starlink and the sub was a “psyop.”

The company operating the sub, OceanGate Expeditions, previously tweeted their appreciation for Mr Musk’s Starlink service — provided through SpaceX — which allowed them to access the internet while adventuring in the North Atlantic Ocean.

“Despite being in the middle of the North Atlantic, we have the internet connection we need to make our #Titanic dive operations a success - thank you @Starlink!” the company tweeted earlier this month.

Mr Musk responded to a tweet made by Snopes post pointing out that he is the CEO of SpaceX, which provides the Starlink service.

An 1851 maritime law protected the Titanic’s owners in court. Could OceanGate use it too?

Friday 30 June 2023 22:00 , Ariana Baio

The owners of the Titanic sought to limit liability following the ship’s sinking by petitioning under 1851 legislation. The owners of the submersible lost on its dive to visit that famed ship’s wreckage may do the same thing

Sheila Flynn reports:

An 1851 maritime law protected Titanic owners in court. Could OceanGate use it too?

Watch: Search and rescue company boss visibly emotional describing Titan search

Friday 30 June 2023 21:30 , Ariana Baio

Voices: The Titanic submersible disaster was an accident waiting to happen

Friday 30 June 2023 21:00 , Ariana Baio

“Whether the Titan is missing because of deficiencies in design and construction or because of mistakes made by its operator – Rush – may be lost to history if the submersible is never found. The lesson of the Titanic, however, is that it can be both. Had Captain Edward Smith reduced the ship’s speed, perhaps it could have navigated the icy waters better. Had the ship been equipped with enough lifeboats for passengers, or had fewer of the watertight compartments been breached, perhaps more lives could have been saved.”

Skylar Baker-Jordan writes:

The Titanic sub disaster was an accident waiting to happen | Opinion

MrBeast claims he turned down trip on Titanic submersible

Friday 30 June 2023 20:30 , Ariana Baio

Popular YouTuber MrBeast, whose real name James Donaldson, claimed that he turned down a trip on the Titanic submersible.

On Twitter, Mr Donaldson wrote: “I was invited earlier this month to ride the Titanic submarine, I said no. Kind of scary that I could have been on it.” has claimed that he turned down a trip on the Titanic submarine.

He shared a screenshot of what appears to be a message sent to his phone, which reads: “Also, I’m going to the Titanic in a submarine late this month. The team would be stoked to have you along.”

CEO of Pelagic Research Services says recovery costs “a lot"

Friday 30 June 2023 20:00 , Ariana Baio

When asked how much the recovery operation in the Titan submersible will cost, Pelagic Research Services CEO Edward Cassano said “A lot.”

Mr Cassano declined to give a specific number or even a range but when a reporter asked if it was in the “millions” or “billions” Mr Cassano responded with, “sure.”

Watch: Teenage Titanic submersible victim's mother shares last words she shared with son

Friday 30 June 2023 19:30 , Ariana Baio

Sub recovery company asks people to ‘respect the seriousness’ of events

Friday 30 June 2023 19:00 , Ariana Baio

Edward Cassano, the CEO of Pelagic Research Services, asked people to “Recognise the seriousness of the event and respect the death” of the victims of the Titan submersible incident and their families.

Mr Cassano swallowed back tears while giving a press conference on Friday regarding the recovery of the imploded submersible.

“Recognise the seriousness of the event and respect the death and range of emotions, certainly most important the friends and family of the Titan, and all of those in the response,” Mr Cassano said.

Pelagic Research Services says it was ‘wild’ joining submersible search

Friday 30 June 2023 18:45 , Ariana Baio

The CEO of Pelagic Research Services (PRS), Edward Cassano, described what it was like for his company to join the search and rescue operation for the Titan submersible.

“It was wild,” Mr Cassano said during a press conference on Friday (30 June).

Mr Cassano said PRS’s ship was nearly 200 feet shorter than the research vessel Deep Water which was already on site looking for the Titan submersible.

PRS had one of the only remotely-operated vehicles (ROVs) that was capable of reaching the ocean floor where the Titanic wreckage was and finding debris from the sub.

Watch: Titan submersible search ends as debris recovery company holds press conference

Friday 30 June 2023 18:02 , Ariana Baio

Live: Titan submersible search ends as debris recovery company holds press conference

Florida couple drop lawsuit against OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush

Friday 30 June 2023 17:30 , Ariana Baio

A Florida couple who sued Stockton Rush for refusing to refund their $210,000 deposit for a Titanic shipwreck tour have dropped the lawsuit after the OceanGate Expeditions CEO was among five to die in a “catastrophic implosion” last week.

Marc and Sharon Hagle filed a lawsuit in February claiming Rush had repeatedly cancelled a deep-sea dive they had booked on the Titan submersible in 2018.

After Rush was confirmed to have died on the Titan during an ill-fated trip to the famed North Atlantic shipwreck on Sunday 18 June, the couple said the “honour, respect and dignity” of the victims were more important than their claim.

“Like most around the world, we have watched the coverage of the OceanGate Titan capsule with great concern and enormous amount of sadness and compassion for the families of those who lost their lives,” the Hagles said in a statement to Fox 35.

“In light of these tragic events, we have informed our attorneys to withdraw all legal actions against Stockton,” the statement read.

Father and grandfather of submersible victims give teary tribute to victims

Friday 30 June 2023 17:00 , Ariana Baio

Hussain Dawood, the father of Titan submersible victim Shahzada Dawood and grandfather of Suleman Dawood, gave a touching tribute to his son and grandson in a prayer video.

“In this situation what does a father say? And a grandfather?” Mr Dawood said wiping tears from his face.

Mr Dawood said Shahzada and Suleman were “so excited” about going to see the Titanic and praised their spirits of exploration. He recalled that they convinced the family to visit Antarctica with them this coming winter.

”They are an amazing father and son,” Mr Dawood said.

Previous passengers recall ill-fated Titan

Friday 30 June 2023 16:30 , Ariana Baio

Talk to someone who rode on the Titan submersible, and they’re likely to mention a technological glitch: the propulsion system failed or communications with people on the surface cut out. Maybe there were problems balancing weights on board.

“I 100% knew this was going to happen,” said Brian Weed, a camera operator for the Discovery Channel’s “Expedition Unknown” show.

Mr Weed went on a Titan test dive in May 2021 in Washington state’s Puget Sound as it prepared for its first expeditions to the sunken Titanic. Mr Weed and his colleagues were preparing to join OceanGate Expeditions to film the famous shipwreck later that summer.

They quickly encountered problems: The propulsion system stopped working. The computers failed to respond. Communications shut down.

Stockton Rush, the OceanGate CEO, tried rebooting and troubleshooting the vessel on its touch screens.

“You could tell that he was flustered and not really happy with the performance,” Mr Weed said. “But he was trying to make light of it, trying to make excuses.”

Republican Senator shares conspiracy theory about submersible

Friday 30 June 2023 16:00 , Ariana Baio

After the implosion of the Titan submersible, several people began sharing their conspiracy theories about the national attention the incident received, including Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn.

The GOP Senator floated an idea about the timing of the US Coast Guard revealing the sub had imploded on her Twitter.

“If the U.S. Navy suspected that the Titan Submersible imploded just hours after it began its voyage, why did the Coast Guard wait until Thursday—the same day the IRS whistleblowers testified before Congress—to make their announcement to the public?” Ms Blackburn wrote on 23 June.

Ms Blackburn’s tweet insinuates that the Coast Guard, and possibly the US Navy, waited to reveal the submersible had imploded until after a Congressional hearing.

However, in reality, the US Navy detected an “acoustic anomaly” shortly after the sub lost contact with its surface ship and relayed that information to the US Coast Guard in the search and rescue mission.

The Navy and Coast Guard were unable to definitively say the sub had imploded as the “acoustic anomaly” was not enough evidence. When they discovered the physical debris, they were able to make a more concrete conclusion.

Physicist calls for ‘pause’ on all tourist trips to Titanic wreckage

Friday 30 June 2023 15:30 , Ariana Baio

A physicist has called for an end to all the tourist voyages to the Titanic wreckage after four days of frantic search for the Titan submersible ended and experts said all five people on board died in an implosion.

Michael Guillen, a former Harvard University physics instructor who himself had a near-death experience near the Titanic wreckage, said the ocean is a “merciless beast” and the Titanic’s wreckage is a “sacred ground” where all activities should cease.

“Certainly, we need to stop, pause all trips to the Titanic, I believe, and figure out, you know, what kind of restrictions should we place,” he said in an interview with GB News.

“This is not a joyride. This is a serious business. The ocean is a merciless beast, really. It’s ready to swallow you up.”

Shweta Sharma reports:

Physicist calls for ‘pause’ on all tourist trips to Titanic wreckage

Watch: Passenger who took 2021 trip to see Titanic says submersible 'was not safe'

Friday 30 June 2023 15:00 , Ariana Baio

No estimated timeline in ‘Titan’ sub investigation

Friday 30 June 2023 14:30 , Ariana Baio

The US Coast Guard revealed there is a “substantial amount of work to be done” in the investigation of the Titan submersible implosion to ensure this type of event does not occur again.

On Wednesday, “presumed human remains” were found as a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) was conducting a search of the submersible wreckage at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean near the Titanic.

However, US Coast Guard Chief Captain Jason Neubauer said there was a lot of work to be done before they could give a conclusive analysis of when they will determine what happened.

“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,” Mr Neubauer said.

It is unclear what the timeline will be for the investigation.

Friend of British billionaire reveals desperate race to get remote vehicle to site of doomed Titanic sub

Friday 30 June 2023 14:00 , Andrea Blanco

A family friend of a British billionaire who perished in the tragic implosion of the Titan last week has shared her desperate efforts to help in the failed rescue of the submersible’s crew.

Several investigations by international maritime agencies have been launched to determine the potential malfunctions that led to the deaths of OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, British pilot Hamish Harding, renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet and Pakistani businessman Shahzeda Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman.

Before hopes of a miracle rescue were dashed when debris from the Titan was found 1,600ft from the bow of the Titanic on 22 June, the US Coast Guard had led a frantic four-day search for the missing crew with help from American, Canadian and French deep-sea robots and ships. The agency had warned before the tragic developments that even if the sub was located, there was no guarantee that a rescue operation would be successful due to the conditions on the ocean floor.

Read more.

Imploded Titanic submarine seen for first time as pieces recovered from sea floor

Friday 30 June 2023 13:00 , Andrea Blanco

Debris from the Titan was brought ashore by deep-sea robots on Wednesday as the US Coast Guard continues recovery operations following the sub’s catastrophic implosion.

The Titan’s wreckage was seen for the first time in pictures after the Coast Guard announced on 22 June that ROVs (remotely-operated vehicles) found its chambers in a sea of debris 1,600ft from the bow of the Titanic, roughly 12,000ft below the ocean surface.

Read more:

Imploded Titanic submarine seen for first time as pieces recovered from sea floor

WATCH: James Cameron likens Titan submersible tragedy to Titanic

Friday 30 June 2023 12:00 , Andrea Blanco

Titan submersible wreckage recovered from water after fatal implosion

Friday 30 June 2023 11:00 , Andrea Blanco

Presumed human remains found in debris from Titan submersible – US Coast Guard

Friday 30 June 2023 06:00 , Andrea Blanco

Medical professionals will formally analyse presumed human remains recovered from the wreckage of the Titan submersible.

The US Coast Guard (USCG) said it received debris and evidence from the sea floor at the site of the deep-sea vessel’s fatal implosion, which killed five people.

British adventurer Hamish Harding and father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood were killed on board the vessel near the wreckage of the Titanic, alongside OceanGate Expeditions’ chief executive, Stockton Rush, and French national Paul-Henri Nargeolet.

Read more:

Presumed human remains found in debris from Titan submersible – US Coast Guard

WATCH: Titan submersible wreckage brought ashore after fatal implosion

Friday 30 June 2023 04:00 , Andrea Blanco

Teen who died on Titanic sub brought Rubik’s cube with him to break world record

Friday 30 June 2023 02:00 , Andrea Blanco

The teenager who died on the Titan submersible took a Rubik’s cube with him because he wanted to break a world record, his mother has said.

Christine Dawood told the BBC her son Suleman, 19, was “so excited” to try and solve the puzzle 3,700 metres below the ocean surface.

Meanwhile, his father Shahzada, a businessman, was “so excited he was like a child” at the prospect of seeing the Titanic wreckage.

He had applied to Guinness World Records and his father, who also died, had brought a camera with him to capture the moment.

Ms Dawood said her son loved the famous square puzzle so much that he carried it with him everywhere and dazzled onlookers by solving it in 12 just seconds.

Titanic to ‘return to Netflix’ on 1 July

Friday 30 June 2023 01:00 , Andrea Blanco

The 1997 blockbusterTitanic will return to Netflix in July - just weeks after a doomed expedition to the ocean liner’s resting place on the oceanfloor.

The movie, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet is returning to the streaming platform on 1 July, according to HuffPost, along nearly 100 other titles.

The Independent’s report:

Titanic to ‘return to Netflix’ on 1 July

Inside the dangerous world of explorer tourism for the thrill-seeking super rich

Friday 30 June 2023 00:00 , Andrea Blanco

The trend of the world’s wealthiest paying above the odds for high-risk adventures is nothing new.

Gabriella Le Breton investigates the elite’s age-old obsession with discovering the furthest – and most dangerous – corners of the globe.

Inside the dangerous world of explorer tourism for the super-rich

Debris from the Titan brought back ashore

Thursday 29 June 2023 22:29 , Andrea Blanco

Large pieces of debris from Titan were transported to St John’s harbour on Wednesday by the Horizon Arctic ship, where they were seen being unloaded by a crane. The Coast Guard announced just hours later that medical professionals will formally analyse presumed human remains found on the debris.

Speaking after the evidence was recovered, the Marine Board of Investigation’s (MBI) chairman, Captain Jason Neubauer, said: “I am grateful for the coordinated international and inter-agency support to recover and preserve this vital evidence at extreme offshore distances and depths.

“The evidence will provide investigators from several international jurisdictions with critical insights into the cause of this tragedy.

“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.”

Friend of OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush warned him about ‘succumbing to pressures of [his] own creation’

Thursday 29 June 2023 21:23 , Andrea Blanco

Emails obtained by Insider show an exchange between Mr Rush and Karl Stanley, the owner of another dive expedition company.

Mr Stanley shared concerns about a large cracking sound during a two-hour dive aboard the Titan in the Bahamas.

“I don’t think if you push forward with dives to the Titantic this season it will be succumbing to financial pressures, I think it will be succumbing to pressures of your own creation in some part dictated by ego to do what people said couldn’t be done,” Mr Stanley warned.

Widow who lost husband and son to Titanic sub implosion pays tribute to 'best friends' at memorial

Thursday 29 June 2023 20:50 , Andrea Blanco

The widow of a Pakistani tycoon who lost both her husband and son after their submersible imploded in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean has opened up about her grief.

More than a week after all five passengers on an expedition aboard the Titan sub were killed, their families continue to reel from the tragedy as international marine authorities have launched multi-agency probes to determine what caused the catastrophic implosion.

Speaking at a televised memorial on Tuesday, Christine Dawood, whose husband Shahzada Dawood and 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood were among the victims, said the expedition to the Titanic meant the world for father and son, who she described as true explorers who bonded over their love for adventure.

“These two best friends embarked upon this last voyage, their final journey together,” Ms Dawood told Sky News through tears. “These past few days have been incredibly challenging as a family ... Emotions from excitement to shock to hope and finally despair and grief.”

Will OceanGate face legal action?

Thursday 29 June 2023 19:50 , Andrea Blanco

Prior to embarking on the journey, the five passengers signed liability waivers accepting that it could result in death.

But, despite this, the waiver may not shield OceanGate from potential lawsuits by the victims’ families.

Timothy E Allen, an attorney and former Secret Service agent, said in a statement to The Independent that waivers won’t protect the company if it turns out there was defects with the sub.

“Submarines operate in a high-pressure environment, and any flaws or weaknesses in the construction, design, or materials used can potentially lead to catastrophic failures such as implosion,” he said.

“If it can be established that the implosion was caused by inherent defects in the mechanics or engineering of the submarine, the responsible party may be held liable, even if a waiver was signed.”

Safety investigators from the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada made inquiries on Titan’s main support ship, the Polar Prince, after it docked in St John’s harbour on Saturday. The US Coast Guard has also convened a marine board that is tasked with conducting an investigation and issuing a report.

The TSB said it has inspected, documented, and catalogued the materials from the debris of Titan for its safety investigation. The safety body said its investigation team has taken possession of the deep-sea vessel’s voyage data recorder, which has been sent to its engineering laboratory in Ottawa for further analysis.

US, UK, and French authorities will work together in accordance with international agreements, as they are “substantially interested states” under the International Maritime Organisation Casualty Investigation Code.

Voice recordings under scrutiny in Titanic sub implosion investigation

Thursday 29 June 2023 19:20 , Andrea Blanco

Guard-appointed expert board’s probe into the catastrophic implosion of the Titan submersible last week.

American and Canadian marine authorities have announced investigations into the circumstances that led to the vessel’s malfunction after its chambers were found in a sea of debris 1,600ft from the wreck of the Titanic.

US Coast Guard Captain Jason Neubauer, who is chairing the investigation, said during a press conference on Sunday that he has summoned a Marine Board of Investigation, the highest level of investigation conducted by the Coast Guard. The board’s role is to determine the cause of the tragedy in order to pursue civil or criminal sanctions as necessary.

Voice recordings between the Titan and its mothership Polar Prince will be reviewed by investigators. The mothership’s crew is also being interviewed by different agencies.

Investigators with the Coast Guard have mapped the accident site and salvage operations are expected to continue, Cpt Jason Neubauer said. Once the investigation is wrapped — a timeline has not been laid out — a report with evidence, conclusions and recommendations will be released.

What was the banging noise picked up in search for Titanic sub?

Thursday 29 June 2023 18:51 , Andrea Blanco

An implosion that killed five crew onboard the Titan submersible is now the focus of investigations by agencies from four countries.

The sub was destroyed less than two hours into a dive to the Titanic shipwreck on 18 June, claiming the lives of OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush, father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet.

Secret US Navy listening devices detected an “anomaly” near the Titanic shipwreck soon after the Titan departed from its support ship the Polar Prince, which is believed to be the moment sub suffered a “catastrophic implosion” of its carbon fibre hull.

A desperate search for survivors continued for four days until a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) found a debris field that was later identified to be parts of the missing submersible. Hopes had been raised when the US Coast Guard revealed that sonar devices had detected banging sounds coming from the search zone, a vast area of the North Atlantic Ocean twice the size of Connecticut.

The source of the banging sounds has not been identified, but experts have put forward several theories about their possible origin.

Read more.

OceanGate website is still featuring trips to the Titanic wreckage after deadly sub implosion

Thursday 29 June 2023 18:17 , Andrea Blanco

The company that operated the doomed submersible that imploded in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean is still advertising expeditions to the Titanic wreckage on its website.

The Independent reports:

OceanGate website is still featuring trips to Titanic wreckage after sub implosion

Why we are obsessed with the missing Titan submarine?

Thursday 29 June 2023 16:20 , Andrea Blanco

“We all can relate to that feeling of being trapped somewhere or being in the water or experiencing that level of uncertainty,” Dr Justin D’Arienzo – a clinical psychologist in Jacksonville, Florida and former US Navy psychologist told The Independent.

“What makes it so relatable is that we all could imagine being helpless with other humans and not know what to do.”

The search for the submersible captured the attention of millions, as phrases such as “Titan” and hashtags like #OceanGate dominated Twitter’s top trending and TikTok For You Pages.

“People paying $250,000 to go into a tube that’s going to go underwater, there is some obsession with rich and famous people. We’re sensitized to voyeurism in that regard,” says D’Arienzo. “We quickly follow people who we see are powerful; we give them more leeway. There’s a reason that we follow the lifestyles of the rich and famous.”

WATCH: Relatives of Titanic victims criticise dark tourism of submersible tours

Thursday 29 June 2023 15:50 , Andrea Blanco

Hamish Harding’s family friend reveals desperate race to get remote vehicle to site of doomed Titan

Thursday 29 June 2023 13:00 , Andrea Blanco

A family friend of a British billionaire who perished in the tragic implosion of the Titan last week has shared her desperate efforts to help in the failed rescue of the submersible’s crew.

Tracy Ryan, a close friend of Harding’s wife Linda, has now revealed that she was “working behind the scenes” trying to get a remote-operated submarine capable of reaching the Titanic wreck to join the search for the doomed Titan.

The Independent reports:

Friend of British billionaire reveals desperate efforts to assist rescue

Wreckage of doomed sub may reveal cracks signifying cause of implosion, expert says

Thursday 29 June 2023 11:34 , Andy Gregory

Investigators examining the recovered wreckage of the doomed Titan submarine will likely look for cracks which could signify what caused it to implode, a professor in mechanical and marine engineering has suggested.

Dr Jasper Graham-Jones, of the University of Plymouth, told The Sun that an electrical disaster may have occurred after parts of the vessel began to leak.

“This could have been an electrical catastrophe. It could have been corrosion, it could have been a fire. Any leakage of water coming through to the electrics could lead to failure as well,” he told the paper.

He added: “Some of the pipes and parts that lead outside could have begun to leak. If you have a wire going outside, then those wires going through land could actually start to leak. They could have corroded.”

While the passengers may have been aware of a very minor leak, the noise reportedly picked up by US military equipment indicates a more sudden implosion, he said.

“The crack could be brittle, or ductile, and related to fatigue and de-lamination. By scanning under an electron microscope, you can see the fatigue and confirm the speed and direction of the cracks,” he told the paper.

Nine looming questions in Titanic sub catastrophe

Thursday 29 June 2023 10:00 , Andrea Blanco

Desperate search for the missing Titanic submersible came to a tragic end when debris was discovered deep in the ocean. But, we still don’t know many crucial aspects of the doomed voyage.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp, Io Dodds and Bevan Hurley report:

These nine questions remain unanswered in the Titanic sub catastrophe

WTCH: US Coast Guard convenes Marine Board of Investigation into loss of Titan Submersible

Thursday 29 June 2023 08:00 , Andrea Blanco

OceanGate sub pilot job opening sparks backlash on TikTok

Thursday 29 June 2023 07:00 , Andrea Blanco

A job advert posted by the company that operated the doomed Titanic submersible that imploded last week in the Atlantic Ocean has sparked backlash on social media.

TikTok users have hit out at the since-deleted job posting by embattled OceanGate Expeditions, following the tragedy that killed all five of its passengers. According to the advertising featured on the company’s website and on Indeed, OceanGate was accepting applicants for a sub pilot position.

The company noted that it had an “urgent opening” and was looking for committed individuals with a “combination of strong mechanical and interpersonal skills,” and experience working with submersibles and boats as well as operating complex systems to support dive operations, Insider reported. Among other requirements, applicants were asked to be comfortable in a confined space and be able to fit through a 28-inch diameter ring.

OceanGate not only hosted tours to the wreck of the Titanic, but also to the Azores Archipelago in Portugal and to the Bahamas. One pilot, one “content expert” and three mission specialists — or fee-paying passengers without any previous experience needed — participated in every dive, according to the company’s website.

The post was removed sometime on 23 June, a day after the US Coast Guard confirmed that the vessel’s chambers were found 1,600ft from the wreck of the Titanic on the ocean floor, but not without being noticed by furious sleuths that criticised the timing.

WATCH: Titanic submarine: What happened?

Thursday 29 June 2023 06:00 , Andrea Blanco

What was the banging noise picked up in search for Titanic sub?

Thursday 29 June 2023 05:00 , Andrea Blanco

An implosion that killed five crew onboard the Titan submersible is now the focus of investigations by agencies from four countries.

The sub was destroyed less than two hours into a dive to the Titanic shipwreck on 18 June, claiming the lives of OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush, father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet.

The Independent Bevan Hurley reports:

What was the banging noise picked up in search for Titanic sub?

Why did the Titanic sub implode?

Thursday 29 June 2023 01:00 , Andrea Blanco

In the days after OceanGate chief executive Stockton Rush and his four-paying crew members went missing on their dive to the wreck of the Titanic, experts had several theories as to their fate.

But what exactly caused the Titan to implode? While we don’t yet know the truth of what happened, we do know enough to have some idea of what might have sealed the sub’s fate.

The Independent’s Io Dodds:

Why did the Titanic sub implode?

US Coast Guard recovers ‘presumed human remains’ from sea floor near Titanic sub debris

Wednesday 28 June 2023 23:45 , Josh Marcus

The US Coast Guard has recovered “presumed human remains” from the sea floor near the debris of the doomed Titanic sub and will now carry out a formal analysis of it.

The announcement was made hours after large pieces of the submersible Titan, which was destroyed in a “catastrophic implosion” near the wreck of the famed liner, were lowered onto a Canadian pier after being salvaged from the depths of the Atlantic.

Graeme Massie is following all the latest details of the investigation for The Independent.

US Coast Guard recovers ‘presumed human remains’ from near Titanic sub debris

‘Presumed human remains’ found amid submarine debris, Coast Guard announces

Wednesday 28 June 2023 23:43 , Josh Marcus

According to the US Coast Guard, “presumed human remains” have been found amid the wreckage of the TITAN submarine, which imploded earlier this month on a voyage to the Titanic ship wreck, killing five people.The remains will be transported to a port in the US for futher analysis, the military branch said in a press release on Wednesday. “The evidence will provide investigators from several international jurisdictions with critical insights into the cause of this tragedy,” Marine Board of Investigation chair Captain Jason Neubauer said in the statement. “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.”

Teen who died on Titanic sub brought Rubik’s cube with him to break world record

Wednesday 28 June 2023 22:50 , Andrea Blanco

The teenager who died on the Titan submersible took a Rubik’s cube with him because he wanted to break a world record, his mother has said.

Christine Dawood told the BBC her son Suleman, 19, was “so excited” to try and solve the puzzle 3,700 metres below the ocean surface.

The Independent’s Gwyn Wright reports:

Teen who died on Titanic sub brought Rubik’s cube with him to break world record