The US Coast Guard inaugurated a public inquiry into an incident that resulted in five casualties, unveiling the inaugural image of the fateful Titan submersible on Monday, subsequent to its fatal implosion in June 2023. The disaster was credited to the intense sea pressure provoking the submersible to implode off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
Notable casualties included Briton Hamish Harding, an explorer; Shahzada Dawood, a British Pakistani businessman and his progeny, Suleman; American Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate, the American entity owning the Titan; and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a French diver.
The latest findings provide insight into the Titan catastrophe and its parent firm. The image recently released offered the majority of the populace their inaugural view of the Titan’s shattered tail cone, resting on the Atlantic Ocean’s floor. Recovery teams also discovered fragments of the submarine scattered along the ocean bed subsequent to the destructive implosion.
As per the Marine Board of Investigation, the detached tail cone of the Titan and other remnants left behind are “irrefutable proof” of the submarine succumbing to a large-scale implosion. This report was endorsed by CNN. Relevant information was also derived from the Titan’s crew’s text correspondence with the Polar Prince, a proximal support vessel.
At a certain juncture of the ill-starred voyage, the Titan was inquired by the Polar Prince about its visibility on the former’s information screen. The crew reassured “all good here”, as the submarine continued to descend. Eventually, a final text from the Titan’s crew conveyed “dropped two wts”, which CNN reported was indicative of the submersible shedding two measures of weight, a tactic aimed at resurfacing.
Witnesses have been increasingly scrutinising OceanGate, the creator of the Titan, voicing apprehensions regarding the construction of the vessel predating its final, ill-fated voyage. Tony Nissen, OceanGate’s former Engineering Director, confessed that he was coerced to launch the Titan prematurely, affirming superior pressure of “100%”.
Tym Catterson, a former contractor at OceanGate, provided testimony on Monday indicating his discomfort about travelling in the Titan submarine due to concerns about its construction from carbon fibre and titanium, according to ABC News.
He expressed his belief that composites may not be the most suitable material for vessels exposed to exterior compression pressure, while also mentioning his uncertainties. He had reportedly shared these reservations with a number of OceanGate staff.
The inquiry commenced on Monday and it’s anticipated to endure for a fortnight. Its purpose is to discover the details regarding the tragic collapse of Titan, as stated by Jason Neubauer, the head of the Marine Board of Investigation. The inquiry will also scrutinise whether any potential wrongdoings or carelessness on behalf of the seafarers licensed to sail by the US occurred.
The passengers onboard the Titan lost their lives after submerging into the harsh depths of the North Atlantic to gaze upon the Titanic, the erstwhile British cruise ship that was once hailed as nearly unsinkable. However, it infamously met its demise in 1912 after colliding with an iceberg and led to the loss of 1500-plus lives. – Guardian.