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US Coast Guard leads investigation into deadly Titan implosion
The probe seeks to establish the cause of the implosion and for the board to make recommendations on the possible pursuit of civil or criminal sanctions as necessary.
This image, courtesy of OceanGate Expeditions, shows its Titan submersible launching from a platform. Picture: AFP/OceanGate Expeditions handout
The US Coast Guard is leading an investigation into the loss of the the Titan submersible that was carrying five people to the Titanic to determine what caused it to implode.
The Coast Guard declared a major marine casualty last week after it learned that the Titanic-bound submersible had experienced a “catastrophic implosion”.
The Titan’s debris was found 1 600 feet from the Titanic’s wreckage.
Operations on sea floor
Chief investigator Captain Jason Neubauer said the salvage operations from the sea floor are ongoing, and they have mapped the accident site.
Neubauer said the primary goal is to prevent a similar occurrence by making the necessary recommendations to advance the safety of the maritime domain worldwide.
MBI Investigation
“The goal is to determine what caused the implosion and the deaths of the five men who were on board. The board can also make recommendations to pursue civil or criminal sanctions to the proper authorities, Neubauer said.
“The convening of a Marine Board of Investigation is the highest level of investigation conducted by the US Coast Guard and enables the US to fully leverage investigative resources Coast Guard-wide and capitalise on an extensive network of cooperative relationships with international maritime administrations and organisations.”
He said investigators are working closely with other national and international investigative authorities, including the US National Transportation Safety Board, Transportation Safety Board of Canada, the French marine casualties investigation board and the United Kingdom Marine Accident Investigation Branch.
Neubauer said the Coast Guard board can make recommendations on the possible pursuit of civil or criminal sanctions as necessary.
ALSO READ: All five on board Titanic sub killed in ‘catastrophic implosion’
Titan sub
The Titan submersible was reported missing eight hours after it initially lost contact with its surface ship – and its 96-hour oxygen supply would have run out.
The sub was carrying British billionaire Hamish Harding, Pakistani tycoon Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, the CEO of OceanGate Expeditions Stockton Rush, and French submarine operator Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
Nargeolet was the director of a deep ocean research project dedicated to the Titanic.
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