Titanic submersible search live updates: Titan debris found, shows ‘catastrophic loss of pressure’, US Coast Guard says

If you’re just tuning in, it is likely the US Navy knew the five aboard the Titan had died in an implosion hours after it began its mission.

The Wall Street Journal reported a top secret US Navy acoustic detection system heard the Titan sub implosion hours after it began its mission to the Titanic wreck site.

In a statement to the Journal, a US navy official said: “The US Navy conducted an analysis of acoustic data and detected an anomaly consistent with an implosion or explosion in the general vicinity of where the Titan submersible was operating when communications were lost.”

A catastrophic implosion was confirmed by on Thursday, US time, by the Coast Guard after an underwater robot found debris.

Tributes have also begun flowing for the passengers on board OceanGate’s Titan: Hamish Harding, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and Suleman Dawood.

Foreign ministries, family members and adventure groups have all paid tribute after the tragic loss of the five on board.

Director James Cameron has spoken to American television network ABC, saying he was “struck” by the similarity of the Titan to the Titanic.

“I’m struck by the similarity of the Titanic disaster itself, where the captain was repeatedly warned about ice ahead of his ship, and yet he steamed at full speed into an ice field on a moonless night,” Cameron said.

“For a very similar tragedy where warnings went unheeded to take place at the same exact site … it’s really quite surreal.”

Read more from our US correspondent Farrah Tomazin: ‘Catastrophic implosion’ doomed missing Titan submersible, says US Coast Guard.

American scientist Dr Michael Guillen who boarded a submersible to the Titanic more than two decades ago has urged governments to shut down all undersea expeditions until authorities determine what caused the implosion.

“When the US Space Shuttle Challenger exploded … we shut down the entire US space program to figure out what went wrong. I think that’s what we need to do now,” he said.

Dr Guillen said he felt immense empathy for the five passengers on board the Titan because his expedition nearly met its own catastrophic fate after becoming caught in the propeller of the 1912 luxury liner’s tomb.

“Our sub got caught in an underwater current, and it slammed us right into the blade of that giant propeller. We became stuck. Huge pieces of the Titanic started falling on us, and I knew pretty quickly that … this was a major life-threatening crisis,” he said.

Read the full story by reporter Lucy Cormack here.

The company which operated the Titan released a statement saying it was a sad time for dedicated employees following the loss of their chief executive.

The US-based company said the five aboard the Titan, including chief executive of the company Stockton Rush, were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure.

“We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew,” the statement said.

“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 organisations of the international community who expedited wide-ranging resources and have worked so very hard on this mission.”

The President of The Explorers Club has paid tribute to the five aboard the Titan, saying they will continue to inspire in the name of science and exploration.

Richard Garriott de Cayeux said the loss was heartbreaking for the exploring community.

“Our friends and fellow Explorers Club members Hamish Harding and Paul-Henri Nargeolet are lost, along with Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, while trying to reach the RMS Titanic,” he said.

“Hamish Harding is a dear friend to me personally and to the Explorers Club … Paul Henri was elected to the Club in 2001 and was one of the foremost experts on submersible expedition to the Titanic.

“While we did not know Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman personally, their desire to explore as a family would have led them to our doorstep at some point in their futures, where we would have welcomed them.”

Garriott de Cayeux said their deepest condolences were given to families, friends and colleagues of the five aboard the Titan.

“Their memories will be a blessing and will continue to inspire us in the name of science and exploration,” he said.

The Dawood family and the Pakistani Foreign Ministry has spoken out following the death of Shahzada and Suleman Dawood.

“Our beloved sons were aboard OceanGate’s Titan submersible that perished underwater. Please continue to keep the departed souls and our family in your prayers during this difficult period of mourning,” the family said.

“We are truly grateful to all those involved in the rescue operations. Their untiring efforts were a source of strength for us during this time.”

A spokesperson for the Foreign Office of Pakistan tweeted their deepest condolences to the Dawood family and other families of the passengers onboard the Titan.

“We appreciate the multinational efforts over the last several days in search of the vessel,” they said.

The family of 58-year-old Hamish Harding have released a statement following confirmation of the explorer’s death, saying he was a loving husband and dedicated father.

“Today, we are united in grief with the other families who have also lost their loved ones on the Titan submersible,” they said.

“He was one of a kind and we adored him. He was a passionate explorer – whatever the terrain – who lived his life for his family, his business and for the next adventure.”

The family requested privacy while they mourned the loss of Harding and said he would leave a gap in their lives that could never be filled.

“We know that Hamish would have been immensely proud to see how nations, experts, industry colleagues and friends came together for the search, and we extend our heartfelt thanks for all their efforts,” they said.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that a top secret ­US Navy acoustic de­tec­tion sys­tem heard the Titan sub implosion hours after it began its mission to the Titanic wreck site.

Attributing it to officials involved in the search, the Journal, said the implosion was picked up by the system that was designed to spot enemy submarines.

The navy had been listening for the Titan almost as soon as communication was lost with it, and a sound – suspected to be the implosion – was detected on the system near where the debris was later found.

In a statement to the Journal, a US Navy official said: “The US Navy conducted an analysis of acoustic data and detected an anomaly consistent with an implosion or explosion in the general vicinity of where the Titan submersible was operating when communications were lost.

“While not definitive, this information was immediately shared with the incident commander to assist with the ongoing search and rescue mission.”

Titanic director and submersible diver James Cameron has noted the similarities of the Titan and Titanic disasters.

Speaking on American television network ABC, Cameron said the tragic incident had shocked the small submersible community.

“I’m struck by the similarity of the Titanic disaster itself, where the captain was repeatedly warned about ice ahead of his ship, and yet he steamed at full speed into an ice field on a moonless night,” Cameron said.

“For a very similar tragedy where warnings went unheeded to take place at the same exact site … it’s really quite surreal.”

Cameron said many top players in the deep submergence engineering community were concerned by the OceanGate ignoring calls to get its vessel independently checked and certified.

“The top players in the deep submergence engineering community even wrote letters to the company, saying that what they were doing was too experimental to carry passengers and that it needed to be certified,” he said.

The White House offered its condolences to the families mourning the five people killed aboard the Titan submersible.

“Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives on the Titan,” the White House said in a statement.

“They have been through a harrowing ordeal over the past few days, and we are keeping them in our thoughts and prayers.”

The statement also thanked the searchers, including the Coast Guard, involved in the international effort to find the submersible.

“This has been a testament to the skill and professionalism that the men and women who serve our nation continue to demonstrate every single day,” the statement said.

Reuters