US experts are to conduct a formal analysis of presumed human remains from what is left of the Titan sub that imploded during a dive to the Titanic wreck with the death of five people, the Coast Guard said Wednesday. The twisted and shattered remains of the submarine were brought to shore by a Canadian ship earlier this week. The Coast Guard, working with investigators from transportation safety boards in the United States and Canada, will try to figure out what caused the Titan to explode.
The Titan’s operators, OceanGate Expeditions, have been criticized for not following industry standards. It was found to operate without a commercial vessel permit and not classified by any groups that establish maritime safety standards. The company also failed to report the accident, even though it is believed to have been a “catastrophic implosion.”
On Thursday, officials announced that the Titan had imploded on the ocean floor, leaving all on board dead. The announcement ended a global search that included planes and ships from the United States, Canada, France, and Britain. They had scanned thousands of miles of open seas for any sign of the Titan.
Its explosion has stunned many in the world of exploration and tourism. The sub had just begun its dive to the Titanic when it disappeared about an hour and 45 minutes into the mission. All five people on board were killed. The news also sent shock waves through the ocean science community, which had been looking forward to seeing images and video from the Titan’s trip to the Titanic.
Officials hope that the debris from the Titan will give them clues as to what happened. They have located five significant pieces of the submarine, including parts of its pressure hull. “The debris field is consistent with the catastrophic loss of this vessel,” Rear Adm. John Mauger, chief of the Coast Guard’s First Coast Guard District, said in a statement. He said the Coast Guard will continue searching for more clues in the area where the Titan is located.
