Submersible carrying 5 people on expedition to see Titanic wreckage; US Coast Guard investigates incident
The US Coast Guard released on Monday (September 16, 2024) a never-before-seen image of what the OceanGate submarine Titan looked like after the submersible imploded during an expedition to the wreckage of the Titanic in June 2023.
In the footage – taken on June 22, 2023, 4 days after the incident, by a vehicle remotely operated by search teams – it is possible to see the stern tail cone and other debris on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
“This discovery led to the definitive conclusion of the catastrophic loss of the Titan submersible and the death of all 5 crew members on board”the Coast Guard said in presenting the report on the investigation. Here is the full (PDF – 2 MB, in English).
See the image:
The US Coast Guard began on Monday (September 16) a series of public hearings which aim to clarify the events that led to the disaster and propose measures to prevent future tragedies. The hearings, held in North Charleston, South Carolina, are scheduled to continue through September 27.
After that, a final report and recommendations will be sent to the US government. If any crimes are identified, the case will be forwarded to the US Department of Justice.
At the hearing on Monday (June 16), the Coast Guard also presented an animation showing the submarine’s path to implosion. It includes dialogues exchanged between the crew of the Titan and the Polar Prince, the ship used to transport the submersible.
In a message sent at 10:14 am (local time), 09:44 am (Brasília time), on June 18, 2023, the crew states: “everything is fine here”.
The last conversation took place at 10:47 a.m. (local time), 10:17 a.m. (Brasília time). At the time, the crew announced that they had thrown away two drop weights, an action taken to make the submersible lighter. The Titan was at a depth of 3,346 meters.
Most of the messages were sent using codes, such as “a” (which means I received your last message) and “k” (to confirm that the communication systems were working).
Watch (11min19s):
At the hearing, the Coast Guard also presented previous problems with the Titan. In 13 dives to the Titanic carried out in 2021 and 2022, the submersible faced 118 equipment problems.
Among the problems recorded were failures in the thrusters at a depth of 3,500 meters and battery drain, which left passengers stranded for 27 hours.
REMEMBER THE CASE
The tourist submersible carrying five passengers on an expedition to the wreck of the Titanic disappeared on June 18, 2023, when it lost contact with the Boston Coast Guard (USA). The wreckage is located about 600 km off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
Made of carbon fiber and titanium and weighing more than 10 tons, the equipment was capable of providing up to 96 hours of oxygen. The search lasted 4 days.
On June 22, the United States Coast Guard confirmed the location of the wreckage on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, about 500 meters from the bow of the Titanic. No one survived.
Read more:
WHO WERE THE CREW MEMBERS
Read the crew list:
THE EXPEDITION
The expedition offered by OceanGate cost US$250,000 (around R$1.4 million at the current exchange rate) per guest, lasting 8 days. Each vessel has capacity for 5 people.
The Titan submersible takes about 8 hours to reach the depth (3,800 meters) where the wreckage of the Titanic is located.
One report of the program “Sunday Morning” from the North American broadcaster CBScarried out in November 2022, revealed that the submarine was controlled by a Logitech video game controller that costs around R$319.99.
TITANIC: FROM SINKING TO BOX OFFICE SUCCESS
The Titanic was a British passenger ship that sank in the Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912, after colliding with an iceberg. It was managed by the White Star Linebuilt by the shipyards of Harland and Wolffin Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is considered one of the largest and most luxurious ships ever built at the time.
The ship set sail from Southampton, England, on its maiden voyage to New York, USA, with around 2,200 passengers on board. However, on the night of April 14, the Titanic struck an iceberg and began to sink.
Despite efforts to save the ship, such as trying to put passengers into lifeboats, the Titanic sank in less than 3 hours. About 1,500 people died in the disaster, including passengers and crew.
In 1997, the drama and romance film “Titanic”directed by James Cameron and based on the sinking of the ship of the same name.
The film’s plot revolves around the romance between Rose (played by Kate Winslet) and Jack (played by Leonardo DiCaprio), two young people from different social classes who meet during the ship’s maiden voyage.
The film was a huge box office success, grossing an estimated $2.225 billion and winning 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Score.
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