Titanic Sub Wreckage Retrieved From Ocean in New Photos

More than a week after its implosion, the Titanic sub wreckage has been retrieved from the ocean. In new photos published by the Independent, crews are shown examining the remnants of the OceanGate Titan submersible. According to the outlet, deep-sea robots retrieved the wreckage from the ocean floor to be brought ashore.

The underwater exploration vessel set out on Sunday morning, June 18, with five passengers aboard: OceanGate CEO and Titan owner Stockton Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, veteran Titanic explorer PH Nargeolet, and businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman. Eventually, OceanGate personnel lost contact with the submersible. Rescue teams soon began to search, as it was been believed that the sub began with roughly 96 hours of breathable air. However, news later emerged that the U.S. Coast Guard discovered a “debris field” near the Titanic. They later stated that they believed this to be from the Titan. 

“This is an extremely sad time for our dedicated employees who are exhausted and grieving deeply over this loss. 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,” a statement from OceanGate read.

“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. This is a very sad time for the entire explorer community, and for each of the family members of those lost at sea,” the statement continued. “We respectfully ask that the privacy of these families be respected during this most painful time.”

Notably, Dawood’s widow, Christine, recently shared that she was originally supposed to accompany her husband on the Titan dive. Speaking to the BBC, Christine revealed that plans changed after the Covid-19 pandemic impacted the timeline for the trip. When the opportunity came around again, she says Suleman wanted to join his father. “Then I stepped back and gave them space to set [Suleman] up, because he really wanted to go,” she shared, adding that he had a big dream for the trip. “He said, ‘I’m going to solve the Rubik’s Cube 3,700 meters below sea at the Titanic.’”

Christine and her daughter were aboard the Titan’s support ship, where she told her husband goodbye before the dive. “I said: ‘I’m preparing for the worst.’ That’s when I lost hope,” she said, noting that her daughter continued hoping until the tragic news was confirmed. “She didn’t lose hope until the call with Coast Guard. When they basically informed us that they found debris.”