The US Coast Guard said it likely recovered “presumptive human remains” from the wreckage of the submersible that imploded on a voyage to view the Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean.
The information was released hours after it was announced that the remains of the Titan submersible had arrived in São João da Terra Nova, capital of the Canadian province of Terra Nova, after being unloaded at a Canadian Coast Guard dock.
The recovery and analysis of the remains is a fundamental part of the investigation to determine the causes of the implosion of the Titan, in which the five people on board died.
“There is still a lot of work to be done to understand the factors that will lead to the catastrophic loss of Titan and help ensure that a similar tragedy does not happen again,” said Jason Neubauer, of the US Coast Guard, in a statement released late afternoon in Wednesday.
The “suspected remains” will be flown to the United States, where medical professionals will conduct a formal analysis, and the Coast Guard has launched an implosion investigation at the highest level, Neubauer said, noting that the Navy’s board of inquiry will review and test evidence including pieces of debris.
The official also said the tests will provide “important information” about the cause of the implosion.
The remains of the Titan were located at a depth of 3,810 meters and almost 488 meters from the Titanic, at the bottom of the ocean, the Coast Guard said last week.
The implosion of the underwater vehicle occurred during its descent towards the Titanic, the luxury liner that sank in 1912 on its maiden voyage after hitting an iceberg.
On June 22, authorities announced that the Titan submersible, reported missing on June 18, had imploded, killing all five people on board.
OceanGate Expeditions, the company that owns and operates Titan, is based in the United States, but the submersible was registered in the Bahamas. OceanGate is headquartered in Everett, Washington, but closed when the Titan’s wreckage was found.
The operator charged each of the passengers $250,000 (229,000 euros) for participating in the trip. Titan’s implosion has raised questions about the safety of private underwater exploration operations.
Source: TSF
