OceanGate Inc. has officially announced the unfortunate passing of the five crew members who were attempting to explore the wreckage of the Titanic.
The individuals identified as Stockton Rush (CEO of OceanGate Inc.), Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, are believed to have been lost. These men were esteemed explorers who embodied a spirit of adventure and held a deep passion for exploring and preserving the world’s oceans. Our thoughts and condolences are with these five individuals and their families during this heartbreaking time.
Oceangate CEO said, We mourn the loss of their lives and the happiness they brought to those who knew them. Our dedicated employees are profoundly saddened and exhausted by this tragedy. We express our deep gratitude to the numerous individuals from various international organizations who swiftly provided extensive resources and worked tirelessly to aid in the search for these five explorers. We acknowledge their unwavering commitment to locating our crew members and their tireless efforts day and night in support of our crew and their families.
Oceangate update
According to the U.S. Coast Guard’s Twitter announcement, an autonomous deep-sea robot, launched from a Canadian vessel, has uncovered a “debris field” in close proximity to the century-old wreckage site, located 2-1/2 miles (4 km) beneath the surface. The agency has scheduled a press conference at 3 p.m. ET (1900 GMT) to discuss the findings.
For several days, rescue teams from multiple countries have been conducting an extensive search across thousands of square miles of open ocean, utilizing planes and ships, in hopes of locating the 22-foot (6.7-meter) Titan. The submersible, operated by OceanGate Expeditions based in the United States, lost contact with its support ship on Sunday morning, approximately one hour and forty-five minutes into what was intended to be a two-hour descent.