Titan sub tragedy: Is it possible to recover the bodies of five lost in ‘catastrophic implosion’?
HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA: Based on the findings, almost a week-long desperate search for the missing submersible Titan has come to a very unfortunate end. The debris found near the Titanic wreck included the rear cover and landing frame from the lost submersible, confirming that the vehicle had indeed been lost to the ocean. The Titan began its voyage on Sunday, June 18, carrying five men to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean to explore the site of the Titanic ruins.
However, not long into its journey, the 22 ft long vessel lost contact, leading to an international operation with numerous underwater devices looking for it. Now, it has been said that the people on board the sub, owned by OceanGate, died immediately after a “catastrophic implosion,” The Guardian reported.
Rear Admiral John Mauger of the US Coast Guard said, “The debris is consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber. We immediately notified the family on behalf of the US Coast Guard and the entire unified command. I offer my deepest condolences to the families. I can only imagine what this has been like for them.”
Is it possible to recover bodies?
Mauger reportedly told the reporters, “This is an incredibly unforgiving environment down there on the sea floor.” He also noted, “This is an incredibly complex operating environment on the sea floor over two miles beneath the surface,” before adding, “I know there’s a lot of questions about why, how, when this happened. This is an incredibly difficult and dangerous environment to work in out there, but those questions … are going to be the focus of the future review.”
Mauger did not clarify if the work has started or will start to retrieve the remains of the passengers. But the US Coast Guard did reportedly express their fear that the recovery may not be possible. The 58-year-old British billionaire Hamish Harding; 61-year-old US-native Stockton Rush, co-founder of OceanGate; French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77; British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his 19-year-old son Suleman were on the doomed vessel.
Meanwhile, Nicholas Passalacqua, an Associate Professor and the Director of Forensic Anthropology at Western Carolina University, has shared that if the men died inside the submersible, their bodies would become mummies. He told Insider, “Generally in an environment without oxygen, remains will not decompose much because the micro and macro organisms that would work to consume and decompose the tissues will be unable to survive.”
Melissa Connors, a director for the Forensic Investigation Research Station at Colorado Mesa University, also suggested the same before adding, “So you might end up with mummies.”
‘The family remains overwhelmed with the love and support’
The tragedy has left the explorers’ families devastated, with the Dawood family saying, “Our thoughts are with the victims of this tragedy, one which has been followed around the world. As with any tragedy of this magnitude, it brings out the best and worst in people. Some go out of their way to contribute and support, others use these moments for personal gains. How one behaves in such circumstances reveals more about their own character than anything else. The family remains overwhelmed with the love and support that it has received and is grateful to those who showcased the best in humanity.”
OceanGate also issued a statement that read, “These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans. Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. 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.”
