Titan Submersible: What Investigators Found Intact From Wreckage

by

New details about from the Titan submersible tragedy continue to emerge.

Approximately two years following the tragic collapse of OceanGate Expeditions’ small tour submarine that resulted in the loss of its five passengers, investigators disclosed discoveries made within the wreckage. Among these findings were personal belongings connected to the company’s CEO, identified as Stockton Rush.

In the recently aired Discovery documentary titled “Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster,” Lt. Kelly Steele stated that Mr. Rush’s clothing was encrusted with sand. Specifically, a piece of his sleeve managed to survive, and within that sleeve were found an ink pen, business cards, and stickers related to the Titanic.

I couldn’t help but be captivated by the scene before me. Everything around was in ruins, yet one thing stood untouched – his pen. Incredible! Not a single piece was broken, amidst the wreckage of shattered items. It was as if the chaos had no power over it.

The film about the ill-fated expedition to the Titanic’s remains additionally includes clips, which the Coast Guard speculates, capture the instant when the Titan sub collapsed.

As Rush monitored communications from the submarine, Wendy Rush – who is the director of OceanGate – could be seen responding to the sound of a faint thud that echoed when the vessel hit a depth of approximately 3,300 meters.

Addressing employee Gary Foss, she asked, “What was that bang?”

The Coast Guard, prior to the movie’s premiere, shared a video recorded by OceanGate. In a Department of Defense press statement, they pointed out that the noise the explorers heard from the monitoring station, which they later discovered, matched up with the loss of communication and tracking. This sound, it is hypothesized, was the Titan’s implosion reaching the ocean surface.

Apart from the CEO, Hamish Harding – a 61-year-old billionaire explorer, Paul-Henri Nargeolet – a 77-year-old French oceanographer, Shahzada Dawood, a 48-year-old businessman, and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood were among those who lost their lives in the incident. This unfortunate event took place at a depth of over two miles off the coast of Newfoundland.

Read on for more about the five victims of the Titan disaster…

On June 18, 2023, the deep-sea exploration vessel Titan, operated by OceanGate Expeditions based in the U.S., went missing during a journey to the wreck of the Titanic with a crew of five. After a thorough search spanning five days, the U.S. Coast Guard announced at a press conference on June 22 that the vessel had experienced a “disastrous collapse,” resulting in the tragic loss of all five passengers on board.

The UK-based businessman of Pakistani origin, Shahzada Dawood, and his 19-year-old son, Suleman Dawood, who are both British nationals, were unfortunately among those affected as well.

The family is among the wealthiest in Pakistan, with Shahzada Dawood holding the position of vice chairman at Engro Corporation, as reported by The New York Times. Meanwhile, his son was pursuing his education at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.

Azmeh Dawood, Shahzada’s sister, shared with NBC News that Suleman initially showed hesitation towards the journey. He confided in a family member that he wasn’t particularly keen on it and felt quite scared about the expedition to investigate the Titanic wreckage. However, in an effort to please his father, who is a passionate fan of the Titanic, for Father’s Day, Suleman decided to embark on the trip regardless.

As a devoted admirer, I find myself compelled to share heartbreaking news: Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, my cherished sons, have left us too soon. Tragically, they were onboard the Titan submersible of OceanGate that met its fate beneath the ocean’s depths. During these trying times filled with sorrow, I humbly ask for your continued prayers to comfort their souls and provide strength to our family as we navigate through this agonizing period of mourning.

The CEO of OceanGate, Stockton Rush, was the pilot of the vessel named Titan. This innovative businessman established the research company back in 2009 in Everett, Washington, and has always had a passion for exploration. At 61 years old, Rush has expressed his aspiration to be the first human on Mars and has stated that he desires to be recognized as an innovator.

Beyond guiding expeditions to explore the remains of the Titanic, Rush also had an intriguing link to the historic 1912 incident. His wife, Wendy Rush, is a direct descendant – three generations removed – from the couple who perished on the Titanic: Ida and Isidor Straus.

On June 17th, via an Instagram post, Hamish Harding, the wealthy British entrepreneur, acknowledged his involvement in the project, one day prior to the submersible’s descent into the water and subsequent disappearance.

He excitedly shared that he’s part of OceanGate Expedition’s RMS Titanic Mission, serving as a mission specialist aboard the submersible diving to the Titanic. Given Newfoundland’s harshest winter in 40 years, this expedition might be the sole manned visit to the Titanic in 2023. With a weather window recently opening, we plan to make our dive attempt tomorrow.

According to Harding, the leader of Action Aviation, they had embarked from St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, and were scheduled to initiate underwater operations around 4 a.m. on June 18. The 58-year-old further mentioned that there was much preparation and briefing to be done before then.

In his past expeditions, he ventured to the deepest point of the ocean, the Mariana Trench, expressing to Gulf News in 2021 that it was a severely unfriendly environment. He further stated, “Journeying to areas within the Challenger Deep that no human had previously explored was simply astonishing.

The Dubai businessman, residing in Dubai, not only completed a global journey by air through the One More Orbit project, but he also embarked on a space voyage last year aboard Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin New Shepard rocket. He often expresses his passion for exploration with his teenage son, who is known as an “explorer” on his Instagram.

Regarding the fifth individual, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who served as a representative for the French explorer, was mentioned by him to have been a traveler aboard the Titanic. Additionally, this person has been cited by Harding on Instagram as part of the same exploration team.

The Times portrayed him as a seasoned mariner with a background in the French Navy. At 71 years old, he was an acknowledged expert on the Titanic and had visited the wreckage no less than 35 times. Nargeolet held the position of director for RMS Titanic, Inc., a firm specializing in researching, salvaging, and exhibiting artifacts from the legendary ship, as reported.

Alongside fellow passenger Hamish Harding, he was a member of The Explorers Club, founded in 1904.

According to Harding’s post, the submarine called Titan was included in an OceanGate Expeditions journey delving into the remnants of the RMS Titanic, a ship that tragically sunk back in 1912.

OceanGate, in a heartfelt statement, conveyed its condolences to the families of the deceased. They acknowledged that the men were fearless explorers, brimming with an adventurous spirit and an unwavering dedication towards discovering and preserving the mysteries of the world’s oceans. During this difficult time, their thoughts are with the five souls who have passed away and all their loved ones. OceanGate laments the irreplaceable loss of life and the vibrant joy these individuals brought to everyone they encountered.

Read More

2025-05-29 19:47