- Newly released footage shows the Titan sub’s final moments before its fatal implosion during a dive into the Titanic wreck in June 2023.
- The sub’s collapse killed all five passengers and ignored safety warnings about its carbon fiber design.
- A two-year investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard and upcoming documentaries aim to shed light on the causes and impact of the disaster.
A new video released by the U.S. Coast Guard shows the final moments before OceanGate’s Titan submersible imploded on June 18, 2023. The sub was on a deep-sea dive to the Titanic wreck site. All five people on board lost their lives. The footage was submitted as evidence to the Marine Board of Investigation. It shows Wendy Rush, OceanGate’s director and wife of CEO Stockton Rush, monitoring the sub’s descent. She appears on the support ship, Polar Prince, with team member Gary Foss, based on the report published by Marine Insight
Sound of Implosion and Misleading Signal
Around 90 minutes into the dive, a faint banging sound was heard in the video. Wendy Rush appeared concerned and asked about the noise. Investigators later confirmed it was the sound of the Titan’s hull collapsing under extreme pressure, about 3,300 meters deep.
Shortly after, the surface team received a delayed message from the sub. It mentioned the release of two ballast weights. This briefly raised hope that the dive was proceeding as planned. However, the message was later found to have been sent just before the implosion. Transmission delays caused it to arrive after the incident.
Victims, Warnings, and Investigations
The Titan submersible tragedy claimed five lives, including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British billionaire Hamish Harding, and Pakistani-British businessman Shahzada Dawood with his son Suleman.
The disaster triggered a major international search. Debris was later found near the Titanic wreck site. Experts had previously warned about the sub’s carbon fiber hull and its risk under deep-sea pressure. Despite this, OceanGate continued offering $250,000 expeditions.
The U.S. Coast Guard conducted a two-year investigation. The case is featured in the BBC documentary Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster. A Netflix documentary is also in development.
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Source: MarineInsight
