The first photos of debris from the lost Titan submersible were released Wednesday.
Canadian Coast Guard retrieved wreckage at St. John’s harbor in Newfoundland from the fatal Titanic voyage that reportedly imploded last Sunday, killing all five passengers.
The U.S. Coast Guard said they found five major pieces of debris last week and despite the Navy saying it detected an acoustic signature consistent with an implosion the public was led to believe a search and rescue was still possible.
A remotely operated vehicle (ROV), owned by Pelagic Research Services, carried out the search from the Horizon Arctic, a Canadian ship.
The company said it completed offshore operations but added that its team is “still on mission” and cannot comment on the ongoing investigation into the Titan’s implosion.
“They have been working around the clock now for ten days, through the physical and mental challenges of this operation, and are anxious to finish the mission and return to their loved ones,” the company’s statement said.
The AP reports:
OceanGate Expeditions, the company that owned and operated the Titan, is based in the U.S. but the submersible was registered in the Bahamas. OceanGate is based in Everett, Washington, but closed when the Titan was found. Meanwhile, the Titan’s mother ship, the Polar Prince, was from Canada, and those killed were from England, Pakistan, France, and the U.S.
Killed in the implosion were Ocean Gate CEO and pilot Stockton Rush; two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood; British adventurer Hamish Harding; and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
The operator charged passengers $250,000 each to participate in the voyage. The implosion of the Titan has raised questions about the safety of private undersea exploration operations. The Coast Guard also wants to use the investigation to improve safety of submersibles.
WATCH THE VIDEO VIA CBC NEWS:
SEE THE IMAGES BELOW VIA THE AP: