Titan submersible's debris, 'presumed human remains' brought to Canadian port
A Canadian ship, Horizon Arctic, brought the shattered Titan submersible and the presumed human remains from it to the port in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, on Wednesday. The ship carried a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that searched the ocean floor around the century-old wreck of the Titanic, nearly 700km south of Newfoundland. The debris could reveal the reason behind the submersible's implosion.
Why does this story matter?
Five people on board the Titan had gone on an underwater voyage to see the Titanic. However, it suffered an implosion, killing everyone on board. United States-based OceanGate Expeditions, which owned and operated the Titan, reportedly forwent third-party industry review and certification of Titan's novel design. Following this, Canada's Transportation Safety Board (TSB) initiated a safety probe to determine the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
Unregulated nature of such expeditions questioned
The US-based Pelagic Research Services, which owns the ROV, confirmed that its team successfully completed the offshore operations. The company said it was removing its equipment from the Horizon Arctic after "working round the clock for 10 days." The ship unloaded twisted chunks of the vessel, nearly 7 meters, at a pier. The incident raised questions about the unregulated nature of such expeditions.
Probe to be used to improve safety of submersibles: US
Evidence handed over to US
Meanwhile, the US Coast Guard said it likely recovered some human remains from the wreckage. Canada's TSB, which conducted its own investigation, said it "inspected, documented, and cataloged" all the evidence recovered before handing it to the US authorities. Notably, the vessel lost contact with its mother ship, the Polar Prince, about 1 hour and 45 minutes into its two-hour descent on June 18.
Who were among the deceased
The five people on the submersible were Stockton Rush (61), the submersible pilot and the CEO of OceanGate Expeditions; British billionaire Hamish Harding (58); Pakistani-born billionaire businessman Shahzada Dawood (48), his son Suleman (19); and French oceanographer and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet (77).
