Modern Mysteries

Wreckage photo and final message of Titan submersible revealed

By T.K. Randall
September 17, 2024 ·  11 comments

The wreckage of the Titan submersible. Image Credit: US Coast Guard Back on June 18th, 2023, the undersea exploration vehicle, which was carrying five passengers including Stockton Rush - CEO of OceanGate Expeditions which was running the operation - disappeared after embarking on a trip to the wreck of the Titanic situated 12,500ft beneath the sea.

What followed was a multi-day search by rescue teams alongside extensive global coverage as people around the world waited with baited breath to see if the crew of the submersible could be located.

Ultimately, though, the discovery of a debris field a few days later confirmed the worst - the submersible had violently imploded, killing all five passengers.

At a recent hearing into the disaster, investigators revealed - for the first time - actual photographs of the wreckage as well as the crew's final communications.

At around one hour into the dive, the sub sent the message "all good here".The last communication, sent from a depth of 3,346m, indicated that two weights had been dropped.

According to investigators, the hull of the submersible had never been subjected to third-party testing and the vehicle had been left exposed to the elements while in storage.

There was also a history of technical issues (118 of them in total) over the course of 13 dives between 2021 and 2022 ranging from battery and thruster failures to the dome falling off after a dive.

Company CEO Stockton Rush, who died in the disaster, was reportedly difficult to work with.

"Stockton would fight for what he wanted and, even if it changed from day to day, he wouldn't give an inch," said former engineering director Tony Nissen.

"Most people would eventually back down to Stockton, it was death by a thousand cuts."

Source: BBC News | Comments (11)

Tags: Titan, Submersible