US Coast Guard Brings ‘Presumed Human Remains’ Back To Land From Titan Submersible

The Titan submersible’s wreckage is believed to include human remains, according to the US Coast Guard, which is bringing the proof home. Last week, the submersible collapsed, killing all five occupants. The ship was travelling to visit the Titanic’s wreck.

On Wednesday, debris from the Titan submarine was brought back to shore. A crucial component of the inquiry into why the submersible collapsed is the delivery of the wreckage to port in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Coast Guard said in a statement late on Wednesday that it had collected wreckage and evidence from the ocean bottom, including what it characterised as likely human remains.

US Coast Guard Chief Capt. Jason Neubauer said in a statement, “I am appreciative for the coordinated international and interagency help to retrieve and preserve this crucial evidence at extreme offshore distances and depths. “The evidence will provide investigators from several foreign jurisdictions crucial information about what caused this catastrophe. Understanding the reasons that contributed to the tragic loss of the Titan and making sure a similar catastrophe doesn’t happen again still requires a lot of study.

On Wednesday, twisted pieces of the 22-foot submersible were unloaded at a port belonging to the Canadian Coast Guard.

The Canadian ship Horizon Arctic carried a remotely operated vehicle, or ROV, to look for submersible parts on the seafloor close to the Titanic site. The ROV’s owner, Pelagic Research Services, a business with locations in Massachusetts and New York, said on Wednesday that it had finished its offshore activities.

According to Jeff Mahoney, a representative for Pelagic Research Services, the crew is “still on mission” and unable to comment on the continuing Titan investigation, which is being conducted by a number of US and Canadian federal authorities.

They have been working nonstop for the last ten days despite the operation’s physical and mental demands, and Mahoney said they are eager to complete the task and return to their loved ones.

The Coast Guard said last week that the Titan’s wreckage was spotted on the ocean bottom around 488 metres from the Titanic and 3,810 metres deep. The submersible collapsed during its descent on June 18, and the Coast Guard is now overseeing the inquiry into why. On June 22, authorities declared that the submersible had collapsed and that all five aboard had perished.

A Marine Board of Investigation investigating the implosion has been established by the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard’s highest degree of inquiry is at that point.

Analysing the physical components of wreckage collected during the search, according to one of the specialists the Coast Guard talked with, may provide crucial clues about what happened to the Titan. Additionally, according to Carl Hartsfield of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, there could be electronic data.

“Undoubtedly, data is recorded by every device on a deep sea vehicle. They disregard data. So, the obvious question is: Is there any information? And the truth is, I have no idea what the solution is,” he said on Monday.

Requests for comment from Horizon Arctic representatives went unanswered.

On Wednesday, officials of the Coast Guard chose not to comment on the inquiry or the retrieval of the debris. Although Coast Guard authorities had previously said that they were taking measures in case they came across human remains during the inquiry, no corpses had been found.

Along with two famous Pakistani family members, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, British explorer Hamish Harding, and Titanic specialist Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Ocean Gate CEO and pilot Stockton Rush also perished in the implosion.

The inquiry is being conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, both of whose representatives refused to comment. The Titan submersible’s loss has been classified as a “major marine casualty” by the Coast Guard, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, and the Coast Guard will oversee the inquiry.

Liam MacDonald, a spokesman for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, stated that since the investigation is still underway, “we are unable to provide any additional information at this time.”

Any investigation findings from the catastrophe will be submitted for evaluation, according to a spokesman for the International Maritime Organisation, the U.N.’s maritime body. The IMO’s member nations may also suggest modifications, such stricter rules for submersibles.

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) now maintains voluntary safety standards for tourist submersibles that include, among other things, regulations that they be inspected, have emergency response procedures, and have a qualified pilot on board. The IMO’s next Maritime Safety Committee, which convenes in May 2024, is likely to be the last opportunity for the organisation to examine any safety measures.

Although the Titan’s owner and operator, OceanGate Expeditions, is located in the United States, the submarine was actually registered in the Bahamas. When the Titan was discovered, the OceanGate business in Everett, Washington, shut down. The Polar Prince, the Titan’s mother ship, was a Canadian vessel.

Each traveller was charged USD250,000 by the operator to take part in the trip. The safety of private underwater research activities has come under scrutiny after the Titan’s explosion. The findings will also be used by the Coast Guard to enhance submersible safety.