Titanic Sub Crew Died in Catastrophic Implosion

The U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday that an implosion of the missing Titanic-bound submersible caused the deaths of all five people aboard.

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According to the agency, this conclusion was reached after examining wreckage found underwater earlier in the day, 488 meters from the Titanic's bow and 3.800 meters below the surface, as U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger told the press.

Mauger expressed "our deepest condolences to the friends and loved ones of the crew." He added that "the outpouring of support in this very complex search operation has been greatly appreciated."

In the search operations, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) was able to find the ship's nose cone as well as portions of the pressure hull. Coast Guard officials said the wreckage found was "consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel."

The vessel had pilot and chief executive Stockton Rush on board, along with passengers Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet. The OceanGate Expeditions company expressed in a statement its condolences to "these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time."

The 6.5-meter Titan began its descent at 8 a.m. Sunday and lost communication with the Polar Prince, its mother ship, less than two hours into its dive to view the Titanic. Their 96-hour oxygen reserve would have been exhausted Thursday morning.

A massive search and rescue operation was activated with troops and resources from the United States, Canada, France, and the United Kingdom, including aircraft, ships, and underwater drones. 

The Titanic's watery grave is located 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, and more than two miles below the surface of the North Atlantic. The ship sank in 1912 on its maiden transatlantic voyage after striking an iceberg.