The US Coast Guard said it is leading the investigation to find out the cause of the undersea implosion of the Titan submersible that killed all five peopleaboard while diving to the century-old wreck of the Titanic. The officials said that the primary goal of the investigation was to prevent a similar incident by making the necessary recommendations to enhance the safety of the maritime domain worldwide.
The titan submersible went missing on Monday, triggering a frantic search and rescue operation only to find a debris field roughly 1,600 feet (488 meters) from the Titanic in North Atlantic waters. OceanGate Expeditions, the company that owned and operated the submersible, said that all five people in the vessel, including CEO and pilot Stockton Rush, “have sadly been lost.”
“These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans,” OceanGate said in a statement. “We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew.”
Captain Jason Neubauer, the Coast Guard's chief investigator, told a press conference in Boston that the findings of the probe will be shared with the International Maritime Organization and other groups “to help improve the safety framework for submersible operations worldwide.”
The announcement comes a day after Canada's Transportation Safety Board said it was conducting its own investigation into the implosion of the Titan, which has raised questions about the unregulated nature of such expeditions. The safety board said that it has begun an investigation into the loss of the submersible and has been speaking with those who travelled on Titan’s mother ship, the Polar Prince.
{{/usCountry}}The announcement comes a day after Canada's Transportation Safety Board said it was conducting its own investigation into the implosion of the Titan, which has raised questions about the unregulated nature of such expeditions. The safety board said that it has begun an investigation into the loss of the submersible and has been speaking with those who travelled on Titan’s mother ship, the Polar Prince.
{{/usCountry}}Authorities from the US and Canada are grappling with questions of who is responsible for determining how the tragedy unfolded, reported AP.
“We are conducting a safety investigation in Canada given that this was a Canadian-flagged vessel that departed a Canadian port and was involved in this occurrence, albeit in international waters,” said Kathy Fox, chair of the transportation board. “Other agencies may choose to conduct investigations.”
(With inputs from agencies)