The heart-wrenching moment of the Titan submersible's tragic implosion has been captured on footage shared with BBC as part of an in-depth investigation into the June 2023 disaster. This footage, recorded by Titan's support ship, depicts the critical moments when the vessel was lost while descending towards the Titanic wreckage, taking the lives of all five aboard.
On the Titan were prominent figures, including Oceangate CEO Stockton Rush, British explorer Hamish Harding, seasoned diver Paul Henri Nargeolet, businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his 19-year-old son, Suleman. The passengers had paid for the enigmatic journey to view the Titanic, situated approximately 3,800 meters under the ocean's surface.
The obtained footage reveals the instant Wendy Rush, Stockton's wife and a member of Oceangate's board, heard a sound prior to the sub's implosion and questioned the crew with, "What was that bang?" This ominous sound, heard around 3,300 meters deep, was followed by a notification that the sub had dropped two weights, leading Wendy to mistakenly believe the dive was routine. However, the US Coast Guard (USCG) confirmed that this sound was the result of Titan imploding.
According to the ongoing USCG investigation—documented in the film "Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster"—the sub's hull had displayed signs of wear long before the fatal dive due to the carbon fiber material utilized in its construction. Experts had raised alarms regarding the design, labelling it as potentially catastrophic, which ultimately proved true.
Internal communications revealed a year prior to the disaster that Titan's carbon fiber layers had begun to separate, a consequence of a process termed delamination, which raises serious concerns regarding the vessel's reliability under pressure. Lieutenant Commander Katie Williams from the USCG noted that several individuals who boarded Titan post-dive 80 were potentially risking their lives.
Deep-sea explorer Victor Vescovo, along with several others, had previously warned about the pitfalls of using Titan for expeditions, comparing it to "playing Russian roulette." The aftermath of the implosion resulted in the vessel's wreckage being scattered across the ocean floor, with remains and personal belongings of the passengers recovered.
As the USCG prepares to release a conclusive report on what led to this disaster, the emotional aftermath remains profound for the families affected. Christine Dawood, who lost her husband and son, expressed the lifelong impact of the tragedy. Oceangate has since ceased its operations and is working to support the ongoing investigations, while expressing condolences to the victims' families.
The documentary "Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster" will air on BBC Two at 9 PM on May 27 and will subsequently be available on BBC iPlayer.
On the Titan were prominent figures, including Oceangate CEO Stockton Rush, British explorer Hamish Harding, seasoned diver Paul Henri Nargeolet, businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his 19-year-old son, Suleman. The passengers had paid for the enigmatic journey to view the Titanic, situated approximately 3,800 meters under the ocean's surface.
The obtained footage reveals the instant Wendy Rush, Stockton's wife and a member of Oceangate's board, heard a sound prior to the sub's implosion and questioned the crew with, "What was that bang?" This ominous sound, heard around 3,300 meters deep, was followed by a notification that the sub had dropped two weights, leading Wendy to mistakenly believe the dive was routine. However, the US Coast Guard (USCG) confirmed that this sound was the result of Titan imploding.
According to the ongoing USCG investigation—documented in the film "Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster"—the sub's hull had displayed signs of wear long before the fatal dive due to the carbon fiber material utilized in its construction. Experts had raised alarms regarding the design, labelling it as potentially catastrophic, which ultimately proved true.
Internal communications revealed a year prior to the disaster that Titan's carbon fiber layers had begun to separate, a consequence of a process termed delamination, which raises serious concerns regarding the vessel's reliability under pressure. Lieutenant Commander Katie Williams from the USCG noted that several individuals who boarded Titan post-dive 80 were potentially risking their lives.
Deep-sea explorer Victor Vescovo, along with several others, had previously warned about the pitfalls of using Titan for expeditions, comparing it to "playing Russian roulette." The aftermath of the implosion resulted in the vessel's wreckage being scattered across the ocean floor, with remains and personal belongings of the passengers recovered.
As the USCG prepares to release a conclusive report on what led to this disaster, the emotional aftermath remains profound for the families affected. Christine Dawood, who lost her husband and son, expressed the lifelong impact of the tragedy. Oceangate has since ceased its operations and is working to support the ongoing investigations, while expressing condolences to the victims' families.
The documentary "Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster" will air on BBC Two at 9 PM on May 27 and will subsequently be available on BBC iPlayer.
