On Thursday June 22, after the passengers of the “Titan” submersible had been missing for over 96 hours the U.S. Coast Guard announced that the five individuals have passed.
“I offer my deepest condolences to the families. I can only imagine what this has been like for them,” Coast Guard Rear Adm. John W. Mauger said in his statement. “I hope that this discovery provides some solace during this difficult time.”
The Coast Guard has been preforming an in-depth search and rescue after the submarine was declared lost on June 18. They revealed that underwater technologies have found five major pieces of the vessel, including from the tail cone and the bow 1,600 feet away, implying that the vehicle imploded during the journey.
The U.S. Navy stated that the pieces of the “Titan” was their “first indication of a catastrophic event.”
The company who sold the experience to the passengers, OceanGate Expeditions, made a statement saying, all five lives “have sadly been lost.”
“These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans,” the adventure business continued. “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.”
“This is an extremely sad time for our dedicated employees who are exhausted and grieving deeply over this loss,” OceanGate added. “The entire OceanGate family is deeply grateful for the countless men and women from multiple organizations of the international community who expedited wide-ranging resources and have worked so very hard on this mission. We appreciate their commitment to finding these five explorers, and their days and nights of tireless work in support of our crew and their families.”
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The Los Angeles Times reported on the statements.
