Last 2 Messages Sent by Titan Submersible Passengers Before Implosion

Details surrounding the tragic fate of the Titan submersible have emerged during a recent hearing held by the Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation. Among the disclosures was one of the final messages sent by the crew aboard the ill-fated vessel: “All good here.”

This message was transmitted to the support ship Polar Prince shortly before the Titan lost contact. As presented through an animated recreation at the hearing, the message was sent around 10:15 a.m. Newfoundland time on June 18, 2023.

Before this reassuring message, the Polar Prince had reached out multiple times over a span of 12 minutes, inquiring whether the Titan could see the support ship on its display. The Titan did not respond initially. However, about four minutes later, the Polar Prince communicated, “I need better comms from you,” while the Titan replied simply with “Yes.”

The last communication from the Titan was noted as, “dropped 2 wts,” referring to the vessel’s ability to release weights to help it ascend to the surface. This exchange occurred just prior to the Titan losing contact with the Polar Prince at approximately 10:47 a.m.

Scheduled to span two weeks, the hearing is taking place in North Charleston, South Carolina. The primary goal of this investigation is to uncover the facts surrounding the Titan’s tragic incident and to establish recommendations aimed at preventing future occurrences.

A varied list of witnesses has been summoned, including former OceanGate employees. Among them are Tony Nissen, the engineering director; Bonnie Carl, who served as director of human resources and finance; and David Lochridge, the operations director.

This hearing is being conducted more than a year after the Titan embarked on its journey to explore the legendary wreck of the RMS Titanic, which lies nearly 13,000 feet beneath the ocean’s surface. Following the loss of communication, an extensive search and rescue operation was launched.

On June 22, 2023, the U.S. Coast Guard and OceanGate confirmed that debris located on the ocean floor indicated the Titan had imploded, tragically resulting in the loss of all five individuals aboard.

The victims included OceanGate’s CEO, Stockton Rush; British billionaire, Hamish Harding; British-Pakistani multimillionaire, Shahzada Dawood, along with his 19-year-old son, Suleman; and former French navy diver, Paul-Henri Nargeolet. Each of these individuals was part of what was meant to be an extraordinary exploration of maritime history, ultimately leading to a heartbreaking end.

As the investigation continues, many are hoping that the findings will shed light on the circumstances that unfolded during that fateful dive and promote safety improvements in adventure tourism, particularly for ventures involving deep-sea exploration.

With significant advancements and risks associated with oceanic exploration, the lessons learned from this tragedy may well influence future regulatory measures and safety protocols to better protect those who venture into the depths of the sea.