The US Coast Guard has recovered wreckage from the missing Titan mini-submarine with five people on board, which went missing on Sunday. Now the company that owns the submarine states that everyone on board is probably dead.
The US Coast Guard stated on Thursday that a remote-controlled underwater vehicle has discovered wreckage, or debris, near the wreck of the Titanic.
Now the Coast Guard has confirmed that the parts come from the outer part of the submarine, reports CNN. The parts were found about 500 meters from the Titanic.
The company Ocean Gate, which owns the mini-submarine, writes in a statement that they unfortunately believe that everyone on board is dead.
After the wreckage was reported, the company whose submersible found the wreckage also issued a statement on its website — which was soon taken down — saying that “the focus right now is on the families of those on Titan and their tragic loss,” reports Sky News.
David Mearns, a rescue expert who according to Sky News is friends with two of the people on board the submarine, tells the newspaper that it is a cover from the rear part and a frame from the underside of the submarine.
– If the frame has come off, then something really bad has happened, he tells the newspaper.
During a press conference, the US Coast Guard confirms that the wreckage found near the wreck of the Titanic comes from the submarine.
– It indicates a catastrophic implosion, says John Mauger at the Coast Guard
The families of the passengers on board have been notified of the findings.
Ships, aircraft, underwater craft and underwater robots have been deployed in the final stages of the extensive search effort. The search area in the Atlantic is twice the size of the US state of Connecticut.
The oxygen in the submarine was expected to run out at 1:08 p.m. on Thursday.