OceanGate the company who owns the missing submarine has released a statement saying they believe the passengers have officially been lost.
“We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost,” OceanGate said in a statement.
“These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans,” the statement continued. “Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew.”
This whole incident occurred on Monday when a tourist submarine exploring the wreckage of the Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean went missing. On board were five individuals, including the notable British billionaire, Hamish Harding. Operated by OceanGate Expeditions, the submarine lost communication with the mothership shortly after launching, leading to suspicions that it may be stuck in the wreckage of the iconic Titanic.
The US Coast Guard initiated a search operation, but the challenging conditions of the remote location and debris in the area are making the search difficult. The expedition had a significant purpose – to document the deterioration of the Titanic, which has been slowly succumbing to metal-eating bacteria since its discovery in 1985.
The missing tourist submersible, named Titan, was an essential means for visitors to witness the haunting remains of the Titanic. With UK billionaire Hamish Harding among its passengers, this disappearance has sparked concern and urgency in search efforts.
The US Coast Guard previously described the search as “challenging” due to the remote location of the submersible, which is approximately 900 miles east off Cape Cod. The Titan lost contact with a research vessel during a dive on Sunday morning. It is vital to note that the Titanic sank in 1912 and lies an astonishing 3,800 meters underwater.