The U.S. Coast Guard has released an audio recording of the Titan submersible‘s fatal implosion from June 18, 2023, reports gCaptain.
Audio recording of Titan Submersible’s fatal implosion
On February 12, 2025, the U.S. Coast Guard released an audio recording capturing the fatal implosion of the Titan submersible, which occurred on June 18, 2023, during a dive to the Titanic wreck site. The recording was captured by a NOAA moored passive acoustic recorder located approximately 900 miles from the incident site.
The Titan, operated by OceanGate Expeditions, suffered a catastrophic implosion, resulting in the immediate deaths of all five individuals on board, including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush. The submersible lost contact with its support vessel about 1 hour and 45 minutes into the dive, leading to an extensive international search. Debris was later found near the Titanic wreck, confirming the implosion.
Investigations revealed that OceanGate had received multiple warnings about safety concerns, particularly regarding the Titan’s experimental carbon fiber hull, which experts believed could fail under repeated deep-sea pressures. The disaster has led to intense scrutiny of OceanGate’s safety practices and the risks of deep-sea tourism, prompting experts to caution against unregulated expeditions in extreme environments.
The release of the audio recording is part of the Coast Guard’s ongoing Marine Board of Investigation, the highest level of maritime inquiry. Multiple agencies, including the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), and French Marine Accident Investigation Office (BEAmer), are also involved in the investigation.
The audio recording provides a somber reminder of the inherent risks associated with deep-sea exploration and underscores the importance of stringent safety measures in such endeavors.
A NOAA acoustic recorder, moored ~900 miles from the site, captured the suspected sound of the Titan submersible implosion on June 18, 2023. The U.S. Coast Guard’s Marine Board of Investigation has now released the audio as part of its probe. #Titan pic.twitter.com/GzATh7ubpu
— Mike Schuler (@MikeSchuler) February 12, 2025
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Source: gCaptain
