HALIFAX – Newly surfaced video evidence reveals a significant moment during the tragic implosion of the Titan submersible, which occurred on June 18, 2023, while it was exploring the Titanic wreck. The incident resulted in the loss of five lives, including Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate Expeditions and pilot of the submersible.
The video, submitted to the United States Coast Guard by OceanGate, features Wendy Rush, the wife of Stockton Rush, alongside Gary Foss, members of the Titan's tracking team. They are seen in the pilothouse of the support vessel, Polar Prince, as they monitor various screens.
Shortly into the footage, a mysterious sound is captured, prompting Wendy Rush to ask Foss, “What was that bang?” Following her inquiry, she flashes a puzzled smile, unaware of the critical nature of the noise. Just moments later, Wendy Rush receives a text indicating that the Titan had dropped two of its weights during descent. She promptly radios this information to the rest of the monitoring team, stating, “Titan dropped two weights.”
The video, which was first reported by BBC, was posted on a U.S. Defense Department website on Thursday. Accompanying the video, a caption from the U.S. Coast Guard notes, “A sound heard at the 24-second mark, later correlated with the loss of communications and tracking, believed to be the sound of Titan's implosion reaching the surface of the ocean.”
In the aftermath of the disaster, the Coast Guard’s Marine Board of Investigation conducted public hearings, with the final conclusions of the investigation expected later this year. Furthermore, Canada’s Transportation Safety Board (TSB) is also conducting an inquiry due to the Polar Prince being a Canadian-flagged vessel registered in Newfoundland.
During the events surrounding the Titan’s implosion, the Polar Prince had a total of 17 crew members and 24 people on board when the five passengers entered the Titan for their expedition toward the Titanic wreck. The famed shipwreck is located approximately 700 kilometers southeast of Newfoundland, and the submersible's journey to the ocean floor typically takes around two hours.
However, after about one hour and 45 minutes into the dive, the support vessel lost contact with the Titan. This led to a high-profile search and rescue operation which garnered worldwide attention. Tragically, the wreckage of the Titan was later discovered on the ocean bed, located about 300 meters off the Titanic’s bow. The remains of the submersible were subsequently recovered and transported to a port in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Among those who perished in the submersible's implosion were the following individuals: Stockton Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, French explorer and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet, and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood along with his 19-year-old son, Suleman.
This incident continues to evoke a deep sense of tragedy and loss, highlighting the inherent risks associated with deep-sea exploration. As investigations proceed, the hope is that valuable lessons will emerge to enhance safety protocols for future underwater expeditions.
