Image: OceanGate
The sea exploration company OceanGate now believes that the five people aboard the Titan submersible “have sadly been lost,” the company said in a statement released Thursday. The Coast Guard added that they believe there was a "catastrophic implosion" that destroyed the submarine.The search for the Titan, which was first reported missing on Sunday, had garnered international attention as onlookers hoped that the sub could be rescued before the passengers ran out of oxygen. On Thursday, however, the U.S. Coast Guard said it had discovered a “debris field” close to the Titanic shipwreck, which those aboard had been on their way to view.“The debris field is consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel,” a spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard said at a press conference Thursday.The passengers included OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, billionaire Hamish Harding, deep sea explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood.“These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans,” company representatives said. Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew.” The catastrophe has led to questions around the creation, development, and promotion of OceanGate’s submersibles, and expeditions.