Submersible Tragedy: Lives Lost in Catastrophic Incident
The US Coast Guard described the incident as a “catastrophic implosion” at the depths of the ocean, killing all five aboard the submersible, which went missing near the Titanic disaster. The dead included two Pakistanis.
British adventurer Hamish Harding, French submarine expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani-British businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, and Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, were all present.
The sombre statement marked the end of a global search and rescue effort that had the entire globe on edge ever since the small tourist vessel vanished in the North Atlantic four days earlier.
According to examination, debris discovered on the bottom 500 metres from the Titanic’s bow was compatible with the implosion of the sub’s pressure chamber, Rear Admiral John Mauger told reporters in Boston.
I extend my sincere sympathies to the families on behalf of the United States Coast Guard and the entire unified command, Mauger added.
OceanGate stated that during this awful moment, “our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families.”
The organisation said in a statement that “these men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans.”
An underwater robot had found a “debris field” in the search area, the Coast Guard reported early on Thursday.
“Harsh environment”
The front and back ends of the pressure hull as well as the sub’s tail cone were among the parts, according to the authorities who later learned this.
The Coast Guard, according to Mauger, is unsure of how or why the ship collapsed and has chosen not to speculate on whether or not the men’s remains will be found.
He said, “Down there on the seafloor, this is an extraordinarily cruel environment.
Unmanned robots would operate on the seabed for the time being while the process of demobilising personnel and vessels from the site will shortly start, Mauger noted.
We’ll gather as much data as we can, he promised.
Also Read: India: Youth’s Suicide after police harassment
According to a Thursday Wall Street Journal report, the US military first discovered the potential implosion of the craft on covert underwater sound monitoring equipment shortly after it went missing on Sunday.
“The US Navy conducted an analysis of acoustic data and detected an anomaly consistent with an implosion or explosion in the general vicinity of where the Titan submersible was operating when communications were lost,” a senior Navy official who wished to remain unnamed told the Journal.
On Sunday, the small submarine Titan vanished as it approached the Titanic, which is 400 miles off the Canadian coast of Newfoundland and is nearly four kilometres beneath the surface of the ocean.
A seat on the sub cost $250,000 through OceanGate Expeditions. Its former director of marine operations expressed concern about Titan’s “experimental and untested design” in a 2018 lawsuit.
The Dawoods belonged to one of Pakistan’s wealthiest families, while Harding was a wealthy and skilled explorer who held three Guinness Records to his credit.
Due to his regular diving at the location, Nargeolet earned the moniker “Mr. Titanic.”
The aircraft tycoon was remembered by Harding’s family as a “passionate explorer,” “loving husband, and devoted father to his two sons,” in a statement.
The family added that what he accomplished in his lifetime was absolutely exceptional and that if there is any tiny solace to be found in this tragedy, it is that he died doing what he loved.
In a brief statement, the family members of the Dawoods also described their “profound grief” over the couple’s passing.
All of the men’s families received “deepest condolences” from the British and Pakistani governments.