The U.S. Coast Guard recently shared a haunting image of the Titan submersible, revealing the aftermath of its catastrophic implosion for the first time since the tragic event.
The image emerged as investigators began a hearing on Monday, delving deeper into the tragic incident, more than a year after the incident. CNN reported.
Last June, the submersible met its tragic end during an unfortunate dive on the wreck of the Titanic, claiming the lives of five people on board.
The photograph, taken during a desperate search mission that gripped the world in June last year, reveals the submersible's shattered tail cone amid the murky depths of the North Atlantic Ocean.
The severed tail cone, with its jagged edges, was found near a torn fragment of the ship several hundred yards from the Titanic's location after days of searching, investigators said at the hearing in North Charleston, South Carolina.
The hearing is expected to last until September 27.
In its inaugural presentation, the Marine Board of Inquiry said the tail cone and other debris were located by a remotely operated vehicle on June 22 last year.
He said the image provides “conclusive evidence” that the submersible experienced a catastrophic implosion – a sudden internal collapse caused by immense pressure.
It claimed the lives of Stockton Rush, founder and chief executive of the ship's operator; businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son, Suleman Dawood; adventurer Hamish Harding; and French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
The remains found were matched to those of the five men on board through testing and DNA analysis, the Marine Board of Inquiry confirmed Monday.
On Monday, the board called its first witnesses, including former employees of OceanGate, the company that developed and operated the submersible.
The presentation also revealed the submersible's final message, just six seconds before it lost contact with the surface.
“Two weights have been dropped,” read the text message the Titan sent to its mothership, referring to the weights the submersible could drop in hopes of returning to the surface. Seconds later, the Titan received a final “ping” and the mothership lost track of the vessel.
The hearing will include “historical events leading up to the accident, regulatory compliance, crew member duties and qualifications, mechanical and structural systems, emergency response and the submersible industry,” the Coast Guard previously said.
While the primary goal of the hearing is to “uncover the facts surrounding the incident,” board chairman Jason Neubauer acknowledged that the group is also tasked with identifying “misconduct or negligence by licensed boaters.”
“And if any criminal activity is detected, we will make a recommendation to the Department of Justice,” he said.
