Titanic sub update: Hamish Harding’s friend reveals desperate race to get ROV to site of doomed Titan

A friend of Hamish Harding’s wife has described “working behind the scenes” to try and involve a remote-operated submarine capable of reaching the Titanic wreck to join the search for the doomed Titan submersible.

“When I heard it was Hamish my heart dropped to my stomach,” Tracy Ryan told People, adding: “I had been working behind the scenes for four days to get the Magellan sub there and get their permits approved because they did have the capabilities to dive all the way down to the site.”

An international group of agencies is now investigating what may have caused the submersible to implode while carrying five people to the Titanic wreckage, and US maritime officials say they’ll issue a report aimed at improving the safety of submersibles worldwide.

Salvage operations from the sea floor are ongoing, and the accident site has been mapped, chief investigator Captain Jason Neubauer said on Sunday, adding that the final report will be issued to the International Maritime Organisation.

Key points

• Hamish Harding’s friend reveals race to get ROV to site of doomed sub

• Mother of teenager killed in Titanic sub implosion gave up spot for ‘excited’ son

• Family of billionaire and son lost were aboard support ship, mother reveals

• US Coast Guard to lead investigation of sub disaster

• Why did the Titanic sub implode?

• Will the passengers’ bodies ever be found?

Wife and mother of Titan victims shares heartbreak

15:30 , Andrea Blanco

More than a week after all five passengers on an expedition aboard the Titan sub were killed, their families continue to reel from the tragedy as international marine authorities have launched multi-agency probes to determine what caused the catastrophic implosion.

Speaking at a televised memorial on Tuesday, Christine Dawood, whose husband Shahzada Dawood and 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood were among the victims, said the expedition to the Titanic meant the world for father and son, who she described as true explorers who bonded over their love for adventure.

“These two best friends embarked upon this last voyage, their final journey together,” Ms Dawood told Sky News through tears. “These past few days have been incredibly challenging as a family ... Emotions from excitement to shock to hope and finally despair and grief.”

WATCH: US Coast Guard convenes Marine Board of Investigation into loss of Titan Submersible

15:00 , Andrea Blanco

Experts says he expects Titanic expeditions to be grounded 'for the remaining of his life time’

14:30 , Andrea Blanco

All planned expeditions to the Titanic wreck have been called off following the Titan submersible tragedy that killed five people, industry groups told New York Post.

The Explorers Club said it knows of no plans still in place for scientific exploratory trips to the Titanic’s wreck 12,500 feet below the ocean’s surface. Commercial expeditions have also been reportedly grounded.

David Scott-Beddard, chief executive of White Star Memories Ltd, a UK Titanic artifact company, said he does not anticipate future expeditions to the famed wreck “in my lifetime,” either.

Navy doctor reveals Titanic sub victims would have died instantly in ‘catastrophic implosion’

14:00 , Ariana Baio

A former Navy doctor has revealed what would have happened to the five people on board the missing Titan submersible in its final moments even as officials announced the vessel imploded.

Dale Molé, a former director of the US Navy for undersea medicine and radiation health, said they would have died instantly and painlessly by the force under the depth of the sea.

“It would have been so sudden, that they wouldn’t even have known that there was a problem, or what happened to them,” he told the Daily Mail.

“It’s like being here one minute, and then the switch is turned off. You’re alive one millisecond, and the next millisecond you’re dead,” he said.

Authorities confirmed on Thursday, that everyone onboard the Titan is presumed dead after the vessel Titanic imploded.

Watch: Titan submersible's thrusters put on 'backwards' during terrifying 2022 trip

13:00 , Ariana Baio

US Navy: Hefty salvage system not required in probe of fatal Titan implosion

12:00 , Ariana Baio

The U.S. Navy said Sunday that it won’t be using a large piece of salvage equipment that it had deployed to the effort to retrieve the Titan submersible.

The Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System had the capability of lifting an intact Titan back to the surface. The U.S. Coast Guard announced on Thursday that debris from the submersible had been found roughly 1,600 feet (488 meters) from the Titanic in North Atlantic waters.

“Efforts are focused on helping map the debris field in preparation for recovery efforts and to support investigative actions. Efforts to mobilize equipment such as the Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System have been discontinued,” a Navy official told The Associated Press.

The Navy describes the Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System as a “portable, ship lift system designed to provide reliable deep ocean lifting capacity of up to 60,000 pounds for the recovery of large, bulky, and heavy sunken objects such as aircraft or small vessels.”

The Titan weighed 20,000 pounds (9,071 kilograms).

The Navy is continuing to support the U.S. Coast Guard as operations continue.

Friend of Hamish Harding’s wife describes push to involve remote-operated vehicle in search

11:02 , Andy Gregory

A friend of the late British explorer Hamish Harding’s wife has described her efforts to get a remote-operated submarine from Guernsey involved in the search for the Titan after it disappeared near the wreck of the Titanic.

“When I heard it was Hamish my heart dropped to my stomach,” Tracy Ryan told People, adding: “I had been working behind the scenes for four days to get the Magellan sub there and get their permits approved because they did have the capabilities to dive all the way down to the site.

“And I actually brought a United States Congressman in to work with the Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard trying to get them clearance.”

She added: “For two days he was on the phone with these guys trying to get the Magellan deployed ... And I had been, you know, messaging all this back and forth with Linda the whole time.”

"This was really more of an effort for me to try and help the family get answers faster,” Ms Ryan told the outlet. “Because the banging in the water that was happening every 30 minutes was giving them so much hope.”

An 1851 maritime law protected the Titanic’s owners in court. Could OceanGate use it too?

11:00 , Ariana Baio

The owners of the Titanic sought to limit liability following the ship’s sinking by petitioning under 1851 legislation. The owners of the submersible lost on its dive to visit that famed ship’s wreckage may do the same thing,

Sheila Flynn reports:

An 1851 maritime law protected Titanic owners in court. Could OceanGate use it too?

Watch: Barack Obama slams hypocrisy over interest in Titanic sub compared to migrant boat tragedy

10:00 , Ariana Baio

James Cameron knew about the Titanic sub implosion days before it was found. This is why

09:00 , Ariana Baio

In a series of stunning interviews on Thursday, James Cameron revealed he knew highly sensitive details about the Titan submersible search and rescue mission days before it was released publicly.

The 68-year-old told ABC News that his contacts within “the community” had shared details of the mission with him, a reference to the small and close-knit submersible Manned Underwater Vehicle (MUV) industry.

“Some people think of me as a Hollywood guy… (but) I make Avatar to make money to do explorations,” Cameron told The Daily Telegraph in 2018.

In interviews with CNN and Reuters, Cameron told how he had learned of the implosion soon after it occurred.

“We got confirmation within an hour that there had been a loud bang at the same time that the sub comms were lost. A loud bang on the hydrophone. Loss of transponder. Loss of comms. I knew what happened. The sub imploded,” he told Reuters.

Cameron emailed colleagues in the MUV industry on Monday that the Titan was without a doubt “on the bottom in pieces right now”.

Titan once malfunctioned and couldn’t reach the surface, says ex-passenger

08:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Bill Price, a former Titan passenger, said that when he went on the submersible two years ago, it lost communication with its mothership an hour into the journey.

Shortly after, the crew figured there was an issue with the mechanism that releases weights off the craft so it can rise back up to the surface. “There was some apprehension of how are we going to get back up,” Mr Price told Los Angeles Times.

OceanGate Expeditions chief executive Stockton Rush and French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who were on the sub, asked the passengers to rock from side to side to try to dislodge the weights.

“When we heard our first clunk, that was such a relief,” Mr Price added.

Why we are obsessed with the missing Titan submarine, according to experts

08:00 , Ariana Baio

“We all can relate to that feeling of being trapped somewhere or being in the water or experiencing that level of uncertainty,” Dr Justin D’Arienzo – a clinical psychologist in Jacksonville, Florida and former US Navy psychologist told The Independent.

“What makes it so relatable is that we all could imagine being helpless with other humans and not know what to do.”

The search for the submersible captured the attention of millions, as phrases such as “Titan” and hashtags like #OceanGate dominated Twitter’s top trending and TikTok For You Pages.

“People paying $250,000 to go into a tube that’s going to go underwater, there is some obsession with rich and famous people. We’re sensitized to voyeurism in that regard,” says D’Arienzo. “We quickly follow people who we see are powerful; we give them more leeway. There’s a reason that we follow the lifestyles of the rich and famous.”

All Titanic trips cancelled after sub disaster

07:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

All planned expeditions to the Titanic wreck have been called off following the Titan submersible tragedy that killed five people, industry groups told New York Post.

The Explorers Club said it knows of no plans still in place for scientific exploratory trips to the Titanic’s wreck 12,500 feet below the ocean’s surface. Commercial expeditions have also been reportedly grounded.

David Scott-Beddard, chief executive of White Star Memories Ltd, a UK Titanic artifact company, said he does not anticipate future expeditions to the famed wreck “in my lifetime,” either.

US Coast Guard to lead investigation into doomed Titanic tourist sub

07:00 , Ariana Baio

The US Coast Guard and Transportation Safety Board of Canada are leading investigations into the Titan submersible implosion this past week.

The five-man crew on board the OceanGate Expeditions’ vessel died on the trip to the oceanfloor to view the wreckage of the Titanic, officials confirmed.

The US Coast Guard declared the incident a “major marine casualty” and will lead an investigation assisted by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), according to a statement tweeted on Friday.

The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada is also launching an investigation into the submersible implosion, according to a press release. The TSB is an independent agency that investigates air, marine, pipeline and rail transportation occurrences.

A team of investigators was travelling to St John’s in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador to collect information, conduct interviews and assess the incident, TSB said.

It is unclear if other countries will join these investigations or carry out their own probes after a massive international operation to find the missing vessel.

An 1851 maritime law could protect OceanGate from legal action

06:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The company operating the ill-fated Titan submersible could attempt to avoid legal liability by taking advantage of the same law used by the owners of the doomed Titanic more than a century ago – in a tragically macabre full-circle development, according to legal experts.

With recovery efforts to collect the debris underway, focus has turned to whether and how OceanGate could be held liable in court. Experts tell The Independent that one 172-year-old piece of legislation could prove pivotal for the company: the Limitation of Liability Act of 1851.

“It is an interesting situation because of where it happened in international waters – there’s a lot of complex issues of choice of law and jurisdiction about where any disputes may take place, what companies or what entity and government authorities will investigate,” Tulane University adjunct maritime law professor Michael Harowski, who teaches a course at the renowned institution’s law school on limitation liability, tells The Independent.

Sheila Flynn reports.

An 1851 maritime law protected Titanic owners in court. Could OceanGate use it too?

Discovery Channel host refused trip on Titanic submarine due to ‘safety concerns’ after test dive

06:00 , Ariana Baio

A veteran explorer and host of Expedition Unknown on Discovery Plus said he decided to pass on a chance to film on OceanGate’s Titan submersible over safety concerns.

Josh Gates tweeted on Wednesday that he had decided to walk away from an opportunity to film Titanic because the submersible “did not perform well” during a test dive.

In a series of tweets, Gates explained that he had the opportunity to join OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush on a test dive while the company was preparing for its initial visit to the Titanic, which occurred in July 2021.

He wrote: “To those asking, #Titan did not perform well on my dive. Ultimately, I walked away from a huge opportunity to film Titanic due to my safety concerns w/ the @OceanGate platform. There’s more to the history and design of Titan that has not been made public – much of it concerning.”

Maroosha Muzaffar reports:

Discovery Channel host refused trip on Titanic submarine due to ‘safety concerns’

What was the banging noise picked up in search for Titanic sub?

05:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

An implosion that killed five crew onboard the Titan submersible is now the focus of investigations by agencies from four countries.

Secret US Navy listening devices detected an “anomaly” near the Titanic shipwreck soon after the Titan departed from its support ship the Polar Prince, which is believed to be the moment sub suffered a “catastrophic implosion” of its carbon fibre hull.

On Tuesday 20 June, buoys detected “tapping sounds” coming from the search area, raising slim hopes that survivors could yet be found.The sound was detected at 2am local time by a Canadian P-3 aircraft.

It first came every 30 minutes and was heard again four hours later, the internal government memo obtained by CNN states.

Bevan Hurley has more.

What was the banging noise picked up in search for Titanic sub?

What role will liability waivers play in the aftermath of the Titan sub tragedy?

05:00 , Ariana Baio

Before they boarded the submersible that imploded near the Titanic wreck, the passengers who died this week were most likely asked signed liability waivers.

One of the waivers, signed by a person who planned to go on an OceanGate expedition, required passengers to acknowledge risks involved with the trip on the Titan vessel and any support vessels. The waiver, which was reviewed by The Associated Press, said that passengers could experience “severe injury, disability, disability, emotional trauma, other harm, and/or death” while on board the Titan, according to the waiver.

Matthew Shaffer, a trial lawyer with the maritime personal injury law firm Schechter, Shaffer& Harris, said the forms are commonplace before doing any kind of “ultra-hazardous recreational activity.”

“A good release will cover any and all potential harm and you are going to spell it out in simple language as possible,” he said. “You can get killed. You can get hurt. You can get maimed and you are not going to have any recourse. You’re releasing us of any liability for anything bad that is going to happen to you as a result of you engaging in this activity.”

Regardless of whether or not there was a waiver, Shaffer and others have said they expect families of those who died on the submersible to sue not only OceanGate, which operated the Titan, but also the maker of the vessel and companies that provided parts.

“The waiver is certainly going to be a significant factor stemming from this disaster and it depends a lot on the court and the facts that come out,” he said.

Hamish Harding’s friend recalls struggle to get ROV deployed for search

04:53 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

A friend of billionaire Hamish Harding, one of the victims of the Titan submersible tragedy, has opened up about her desperate efforts to get a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) deployed for the search.

Tracy Ryan, co-founder of NKore Biotherapeutics, said she was shocked to learn that the British explorer was on the craft. “When I heard it was Hamish, my heart dropped to my stomach,” Ms Ryan told People Magazine.

She said her priority was deploying the Magellan, an ROV with a manipulator arm that could attach to a hull and possibly lift it off the ocean floor.

“I had been working behind the scenes for four days to get the Magellan sub there and get their permits approved because they did have the capabilities to dive all the way down to the site,” She told the magazine.

“And I actually brought a United States congressman in to work with the air force, navy and coast guard trying to get them clearance.”

Experts on why we are obsessed with the missing Titan submarine

04:10 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The search for the missing Titan submersible fully captured the world’s attention, from reports of mysterious “banging” noises to estimates of how much oxygen may have been left in the underwater vessel.

On 18 June, the OceanGate Expeditions submersible Titan was beginning its trip to visit the Titanic wreckage at a depth of 12,500ft.

About one hour and 45 minutes into its deep dive, the submersible lost communications with its surface ship, the Polar Prince, and was believed to have suffered a “catastrophic implosion”.

The search for the submersible captured the attention of millions, as phrases such as “Titan” and hashtags like #OceanGate dominated Twitter’s top trending and TikTok For You Pages.

According to Dr Justin D’Arienzo – a clinical psychologist in Jacksonville, Florida and former US Navy psychologist – the reason the public has been so invested is down to our desire to relate to others that sustains our obsession.

“We all can relate to that feeling of being trapped somewhere or being in the water or experiencing that level of uncertainty,” he tells The Independent.

“What makes it so relatable is that we all could imagine being helpless with other humans and not know what to do.”

Meredith Clark reports.

Why we are obsessed with the missing Titan submarine, according to experts

Titanic museums mocked for having memorials for submarine expedition

04:00 , Ariana Baio

Two memorials were held last week at Titanic museums across the US, in honour of the five people who died earlier this month on a submarine expedition to the famous shipwreck.

The services were held at Titanic museums in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Branson, Missouri.

Both museums are owned by John Josyln, part of a team that explored the Titanic wreckage in a famous 1987 televised expedition.

The services featured wreaths and speeches in the rooms memorialising the more than 1,500 people who died in the 1912 disaster.

“Every day we pay tribute to the 2,208 passengers that were onboard the Titanic,” museum employee Jamie Terrell told KY3. “Their legacy will be their memory. We get to be the ambassadors for that and we take great honour in that. Today we’re adding five more names.”

Unsurprisingly, given the high volume of often-mocking commentary and memes about the failed expedition online, social media users lambasted the memorials as inappropriate.

Josh Marcus reports:

The five people who died aboard the Titan submersible

03:00 , Ariana Baio

Five people died while aboard the Titan submersible last week after the vessel imploded.

Stockton Rush - 61, chief executive of OceanGate Expeditions, told Sky News earlier this year the Titanic was “an amazingly beautiful wreck”. Mr Rush began his career as a pilot at 19 after qualifying from the United Airlines Jet Training Institute. He was the youngest jet transport-rated pilot in the world.

Paul-Henri Nargeolet- 77, was director of underwater research at a company that owns the rights to the Titanic wreck and recovers artifacts. A former commander in the French navy, he was both a deep diver and a mine sweeper. After retiring from the navy, he led the first recovery expedition to the Titanic in 1987 and several more, becoming a leading authority on the wreck site.

Hamish Harding- 58, was the chairman of private plane firm Action Aviation. The father of two was a seasoned explorer and held three Guinness World Records, including the longest duration at full ocean depth by a crewed vessel. He dived to the lowest depth of the Mariana Trench in March 2021.

Shahzada Dawood- 48, was vice-chairman of one of Pakistan’s largest conglomerates, Engro Corporation, with investments in fertilisers, vehicle manufacturing, energy and digital technologies.

Suleman Dawood- 19, Suleman was a fan of science fiction literature, according to a statement from the Dawood Group. He studied at the University of Strathclyde.

Voice recordings under scrutiny in Titanic sub implosion investigation

02:00 , Ariana Baio

Voice recordings and other data will be reviewed as part of a US Coast Guard-appointed expert board’s probe into the catastrophic implosion of the Titan submersible last week.

American and Canadian marine authorities have announced investigations into the circumstances that led to the vessel’s malfunction after its chambers were found in a sea of debris 1,600ft from the wreck of the Titanic.

Andrea Blanco reports:

Voice recordings under scrutiny in Titanic sub implosion investigation

How pressure under the sea caused the Titan submersible implosion

01:00 , Ariana Baio

Everyone is exposed to atmospheric pressure, and this changes depending on how high up you are and whether you’re at ground level or underwater.

This pressure has been described by the American Museum of Natural History as a long column of air above your head that’s reaching to the top of the atmosphere and pressing down on you.

If you go higher, for example, if you climb a mountain, less of that column is pushing down on you, hence the air pressure is lower.

When you get to sea level, the pressure is described as one atmosphere, which is about equivalent to one kilogram of weight pushing down on every square centimetre.

Once you get under the sea, the column pressing down on you increases significantly because you also have to contend with water, which is far heavier than air. The pressure increases by one atmosphere for every 10 metres of ocean depth.

By the time it reached the Titanic wreckage, the Titan submersible would have been facing a pressure of between 375 and 400 atmospheres.

That’s equivalent to 4,000 tonnes pushing on an area of one square metre, according to associate professor Eric Fusil, director of the Shipbuilding Hub at Adelaide University.

ICMYI: Titanic submarine: What happened?

Wednesday 28 June 2023 00:00 , Ariana Baio

Netflix faces backlash for bringing Titanic back to streamer days after fatal submarine tragedy

Tuesday 27 June 2023 23:00 , Ariana Baio

A few days after the Titan submersible incident, Netflix announced that the award-winning film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet will make its return to the streaming service on 1 July.

Now the streaming service is facing backlash for bringing James Cameron’s 1997 film Titanic back.

“Netflix hosting Titanic a week after the Oceangate incident is actually disgusting,” one person wrote on Twitter. “They never disappoint to show everyone how greedy they are.”

Another person wrote: “I didn’t think Netflix would sink so low as to add Titanic to their streaming list during this time.”

Another person added: “I got a notification for titles being added to Netflix in July, and Titanic is on there lmfaoooooo. The devil works hard but Netflix works harder.”

Despite all the criticism, Variety has revealed that Titanic’s arrival on Netflix is a coincidence as the streamer’s licensing deal to bring back Titanic for the viewers was ironed out long in advance.

The outlet reported that the return of Titanic on the streamer was scheduled months before the Titan submersible went missing.

The Independent has contacted Netflix for comment.

Inside Titan: Titanic-spotting submarine steered by video game controller

Tuesday 27 June 2023 22:00 , Ariana Baio

The resting place of the Titanic lies about 370 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, at a depth of around 12,500ft below the surface, with trips to visit it typically involving a two-hour descent.

Particular details about the Titan, a cramped metal cylinder accommodating four passengers and a pilot, emerged soon after it first went missing on Sunday (18 June).

Joe Sommerlad reports:

Inside the Titanic-spotting submarine that imploded with five people aboard

Canadian police weigh criminal investigation over Titan sub disaster

Tuesday 27 June 2023 21:30 , Ariana Baio

Police in Canada announced on Saturday that they are considering a criminal investigation over the deaths of five men in the Oceangate submersible implosion.

Superintendent Kent Osmond of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Newfoundland and Labrador said law enforcement were in the early stages of the probe.

“Following the US Coast Guard’s announcement earlier this week that debris from the submersible was located and all five on board were presumed dead, we will now look at the circumstances that led to those deaths,” Mr Osmond said, at a press conference.

“Such an investigation will proceed only if our examination of the circumstances indicate criminal, federal or provincial laws may possibly have been broken.”

Mr Osmond said the initial team of investigators would look into whether a full investigation is warranted or not.

Titanic actor Lew Palter dies aged 94

Tuesday 27 June 2023 21:00 , Ariana Baio

Lew Palter, the actor best known for his role as Isidor Straus in James Cameron’s 1997 epic Titanic, has died aged 94.

The Brooklyn-born actor was also a longtime theatre teacher at the CalArts School of Theater in Santa Clarita, California.

Palter died on 21 May of lung cancer at his home in Los Angeles, his daughter, Catherine Palter, told The Hollywood Reporter.

“Lew loved the craft of acting and taught his students to do the same. He fostered deep curiosity, care, intellect and humor in every scene, play and class,” CalArts School of Theater Dean Travis Preston said in a statement. “He had the utmost respect of his students and encouraged all to find truth in their work and lives.”

Tom Murray reports:

Titanic actor Lew Palter dies aged 94

Pictures released of deep-sea robot aiding in Titan recovery efforts

Tuesday 27 June 2023 20:30 , Ariana Baio

The deep-sea robot that recovered debris from the Titan after its catastrophic implosion last week was launched on a fourth dive as recovery efforts continue.

A week after the tragedy that killed all five passengers aboard the fated submersible, the US Coast Guard announced that ROVs (remotely-operated vehicles) remain in place as part of recovery operations.

The ROV that made the critical finding of the Titan’s chambers 1,600ft from the Titanic’s wreckage, the Odysseus 6K, was launched again on Sunday in further efforts to recover more debris, according to Pelagic Research Services, the company that operates the deep-sea robot.

Andrea Blanco reports:

This is the robot that is looking for the Titan sub remains

Possible answers that explain what the banging noises were

Tuesday 27 June 2023 20:00 , Ariana Baio

Secret US Navy listening devices detected an “anomaly” near the Titanic shipwreck soon after the Titan departed from its support ship the Polar Prince, which is believed to be the moment sub suffered a “catastrophic implosion” of its carbon fibre hull.

The source of the banging sounds has not been identified, but experts have put forward several theories about their possible origin.

On 22 June, Carl Hartsfield, an expert with the Wood Hole Oceanographic Institution, told CBS News there were many possible explanations for the sounds.

“The ocean is a very complex place, obviously — human sounds, nature sounds, and it’s very difficult to discern what the sources of those noises are at times,” he told the news site.

Jeff Karson, professor emeritus of earth and environmental sciences at Syracuse University, told Mail Online while the search was underway that the noise could be a “complicated echo” coming from sounds bouncing around the Titanic debris field.

“It’s just not bouncing off of one thing. It’s bouncing off a bunch of things. And it’s like, you know, dropping up a marble into a tin can. It’s rattling around and that would confuse the location,” he told the publication.

Stefan Williams, a professor of marine robotics at the University of Sydney, told Insider the sounds may have been created by marine wildlife such as whales.

He said there had been reports of marooned submarine crews banging on the vessel’s hull to signal their location, and that “acoustic noise will travel”.

RMS Titanic Inc opens online guestbook for Paul-Henri Nargeolet

Tuesday 27 June 2023 19:30 , Ariana Baio

RMS Titanic Inc, the organisation that provides educational information and preserves artifacts of the Titanic ,opened an online guestbook for Paul-Henri Nargeolet who was the director of underwater research.

“In loving memory of PH Nargeolet. Always in our hearts and thoughts. A true explorer of his time,” RMS Titanic Inc wrote in the introduction.

Hundreds of people left their memories of Mr Nargeolet as well shared their condolences to Mr Nargeloet’s family.

How billionaires navigate boredom through thrilling experiences like Titanic sub, according to psychologists

Tuesday 27 June 2023 19:00 , Ariana Baio

Even before the loss of the five passengers aboard the Titanic sub, psychologists have studied the rise in wealthy individuals embarking on extravagant yet dangerous adventures, and the reasons why these avid travellers are so intrigued by the thrilling experiences.

Speaking to The Independent, Dr Scott Lyons, a psychologist based in New York, explained how travelling can be used as a method of masking one’s negative feelings, such as boredom or sadness, with something exciting and adventurous.

But, according to Dr Lyons, when it comes to billionaires in particular, the trips required to distract from the tedium are often more frequent and extravagant.

“They’ve reached certain pinnacles in their professional life or social life where they kind of need more to feel more. To get that excitement or to ultimately feel alive,” he explained. “Travel, in particular, is one of the more accessible ways to get those thrills. Doing something that’s a ‘risky business’ adventure takes a lot more planning in some ways than going to say: ‘Oh we’re going to hike Mount Kilimanjaro.’”

Amber Raiken reports:

How billionaires navigate boredom through thrill, according to psychologists

Marine Board of Investigation will conduct probe

Tuesday 27 June 2023 18:30 , Ariana Baio

In a statement released on Sunday, the US Coast Guard announced a Marine Board of Investigation will work to better understand how the Titan submersible imploded.

A Marine Board of Investigation is the highest level of investigation in the Coast Guard.

“Upon completion of the investigation, the Board will issue a report to the Commandant with the evidence collected, the facts established, its conclusions, and recommendations,” the Coast Guard said.

Some of the questions they will seek to answer are:

- What was the cause of the casualty including any deaths?

- Did an act of misconduct, incompetence, negligence, unskillfulness, or willful violation of law committed by any individual licensed, certificated, or documented has contributed to the cause of the casualty, or to a death involved in the casualty?

- Did an act of misconduct, incompetence, negligence, unskillfulness, or willful violation of law committed by any person, including an officer, employee, or member of the Coast Guard, contributed to the cause of the casualty, or to a death involved in the casualty?

- Is there evidence that an act subjecting the offender to a civil penalty under the laws of the US has been committed?

- Is there evidence that a criminal act under the laws of the United States has been committed?

- Is there a need for new laws or regulations, or amendment or repeal of existing laws or regulations, to prevent the recurrence of the casualty?

Memorial service held for father and son victims

Tuesday 27 June 2023 18:00 , Ariana Baio

The Dawood Foundation held a prayer service would be held on Tuesday for Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, the father and son who were killed in the Titan implosion.

“In loving memory of our beloved sons,” the announcement for the memorial service said.

The prayer took place at 9.30am EDT (2.30pm UK time).

OceanGate headquarters ‘indefinitely closed’

Tuesday 27 June 2023 17:30 , Ariana Baio

The company that operated the Titan closed its headquarters in Everett, Washington State, following the vessel’s implosion, which killed OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and British billionaire Hamish Harding, French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his teenage son Suleman Dawood.

The leasing agent said in a statement to The Seattle Times that the company would be closing indefinitely.

What was the banging noise picked up in search for Titanic sub?

Tuesday 27 June 2023 17:00 , Ariana Baio

Secret US Navy listening devices detected an “anomaly” near the Titanic shipwreck soon after the Titan departed from its support ship the Polar Prince, which is believed to be the moment sub suffered a “catastrophic implosion” of its carbon fibre hull.

The source of the banging sounds has not been identified, but experts have put forward several theories about their possible origin.

Bevan Hurley reports:

What was the banging noise picked up in search for Titanic sub?

Watch: Ross Kemp explains why he turned down trip on Titanic tourist submarine

Tuesday 27 June 2023 16:30 , Ariana Baio

US Coast Guard declares ‘recovery of items from sea floor’ as priority

Tuesday 27 June 2023 16:00 , Ariana Baio

The US Coast Guard says the priority in its investigation into the fatal Titanic submersible implosion is the “recovery of items from the sea floor”.

Captain Jason Neubauer, chief investigator with the US Coast Guard, told reporters on Sunday, that: “My primary goal is to prevent a similar occurrence by making the necessary recommendations to enhance the safety of the maritime domain worldwide.”

A remotely operated vehicle (ROV) discovered debris from the Titan around 1,600ft from the bow of the liner days after it lost contact with its mother ship around 1 hour and 45 minutes into the dive.

Pelagic Research Services, the company that owns the ROV, tweeted pictures of the Titan recovery mission on Sunday.

Son turned down father’s offer for ‘bucket list’ trip on doomed Titanic sub over safety fears

Tuesday 27 June 2023 15:30 , Ariana Baio

A 20-year-old man who had a lucky escape from the doomed Titanic sub disaster has revealed how he turned down his father’s offer of a “bucket list” trip because he feared the vessel wasn’t safe.

Sean Bloom, 20, told People that he and his financier father Jay Bloom almost signed up to join OceanGate Expeditions’ tourist trip to visit the Titanic wreckage.

But, Mr Bloom said that he ultimately refused to go because he wasn’t convinced the Titan submersible would be able to withstand the pressure around 13,000 feet deep in the Atlantic Ocean.

“The whole reason my dad didn’t go was because I told him, ‘Dude, this submarine cannot survive going that deep in the ocean,’” Sean told People.

“I was worried because I didn’t think the submarine could withstand that kind of pressure and it wasn’t meant to go that far.”

He added: “That is a small submarine, with five people crammed inside. It just felt super unsafe. Something was telling me this was not the move.”

Ultimately, the Blooms decided against the trip and the final two seats were snapped up by a different father and son duo: Shahzada and Suleman Dawood.

Florida couple drop lawsuit against OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush

Tuesday 27 June 2023 15:00 , Ariana Baio

A Florida couple who sued Stockton Rush for refusing to refund their $210,000 deposit for a Titanic shipwreck tour have dropped the lawsuit after the OceanGate Expeditions CEO was among five to die in a “catastrophic implosion” last week.

Marc and Sharon Hagle filed a lawsuit in February claiming Rush had repeatedly cancelled a deep-sea dive they had booked on the Titan submersible in 2018.

After Rush was confirmed to have died on the Titan during an ill-fated trip to the famed North Atlantic shipwreck on Sunday 18 June, the couple said the “honour, respect and dignity” of the victims were more important than their claim

Bevan Hurley reports:

Couple drop lawsuit against late OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush

WATCH: Teenage Titanic submersible victim's mother shares last words she shared with son

Tuesday 27 June 2023 14:30 , Andrea Blanco

Whistleblowers warned OceanGate safety issues could prove ‘catastrophic’.

Tuesday 27 June 2023 14:00 , Ariana Baio

Safety concerns about the Titan submarine that imploded in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean with five people on board have been revealed in a number of scathing reports.

Josh Marcus reports:

Inside OceanGate’s history of safety issues as officials confirm Titanic sub imploded

PICTURED: This is the deep-sea robot that found the Titan’s debris

Tuesday 27 June 2023 13:30 , Andrea Blanco

A week after the catastrophic implosion that killed all five passengers aboard the fated submersible, the Coast Guard announced that ROVs (remotely-operated vehicles) remain in place near where the Titan vanished.

The ROV that made the critical finding of the Titan’s chambers 1,600ft from the Titanic’s wreckage, the Odysseus 6K, was launched again on Sunday in further efforts to recover more debris, according to the company that operated the deep-sea robot.

“We continue to work tirelessly in our support role of this mission, alongside the incredible crew of Horizon Artic (the Canadian vessel that carried the Odysseus to the sea),” Pelagic Research Services CEO Ed Cassano said.

Who is Shahzada Dawood? The Pakistani bussinessman who died on Titanic submarine with teenage son

Tuesday 27 June 2023 13:00 , Namita Singh

British-based Pakistani tycoon and his teenage son are among five people who perished aboard the Titanic tourist submarine.

The US Coast Guard announced on Thursday that the remains of the submersible vessel lost in the Atlantic Ocean had been found by an ROV on the ocean bed near the wreck of the famed liner.

Its support vessel, the Canadian research icebreaker Polar Prince, lost contact with it approximately one hour and 45 minutes after it submerged on Sunday morning.

Report:

Who is Shahzada Dawood? Pakistani businessman who died in Titanic sub with teen son

OceanGate sub pilot job opening sparks backlash on TikTok

Tuesday 27 June 2023 11:30 , Andrea Blanco

A job advert posted by the company that operated the doomed Titanic submersible that imploded last week in the Atlantic Ocean has sparked backlash on social media.

TikTok users have hit out at the since-deleted job posting by embattled OceanGate Expeditions, following the tragedy that killed all five of its passengers. According to the advertising featured on the company’s website and on Indeed, OceanGate was accepting applicants for a sub pilot position.

The company noted that it had an “urgent opening” and was looking for committed individuals with a “combination of strong mechanical and interpersonal skills,” and experience working with submersibles and boats as well as operating complex systems to support dive operations, Insider reported. Among other requirements, applicants were asked to be comfortable in a confined space and be able to fit through a 28-inch diameter ring.

OceanGate not only hosted tours to the wreck of the Titanic, but also to the Azores Archipelago in Portugal and to the Bahamas. One pilot, one “content expert” and three mission specialists — or fee-paying passengers without any previous experience needed — participated in every dive, according to the company’s website.

The post was removed sometime on Friday, a day after the US Coast Guard confirmed that the vessel’s chambers were found 1,600ft from the wreck of the Titanic on the ocean floor, but not without being noticed by furious sleuths that criticised the timing.

“Remember when everyone was saying “Don’t kill yourself for a job that would replace you within two weeks?” one user commented on a TikTok, while another argued, “It was a scheduled post. that’s how our job engine works...”

Although it is unclear when the job posting went up, it was likely well before OceanGate made international headlines as its sub vanished. However, TikTok users argued that the company should have been cautious enough to remove the posting as a four-day frantic search for the submersible unfolded.

It comes amid reports that OceanGate closed its headquarters in Everett, Washington State, following the Titan’s implosion, which killed CEO Stockton Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his teenage son Suleman Dawood.

Expert believes ‘there is no more evidence to collect’

Tuesday 27 June 2023 11:00 , Namita Singh

An expert with whom the Coast Guard have been consulting said there isn’t any more evidence to collect even as an international group of agencies was tasked with investigating what may have caused the Titan submersible to implode.

“It is my professional opinion that all the debris is located in a very small area and that all debris has been found,” said Carl Hartsfield, a retired Navy captain and submarine officer who now directs a lab at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution that designs and operates autonomous underwater vehicles.

Early summer is the best time to be conducting this type of operation because of the lower likelihood of storms, but it’s still likely to be painstaking, said Donald Murphy, an oceanographer who served as chief scientist of the Coast Guard’s International Ice Patrol.

The search is taking place in a complex ocean environment where the Gulf Stream meets the Labrador Current, an area where challenging and hard-to-predict ocean currents can make controlling an underwater vehicle more difficult, Mr Murphy said.

But Mr Hartsfield said based on the data he’s reviewed and the performance of the remote vehicles so far, he doesn’t expect currents to be a problem. Also working in the searchers’ favour, he said, is that the debris is located in a compact area and the ocean bottom where they are searching is smooth and not near any of the Titanic debris.

US Coast Guard declares ‘recovery of items from sea floor’ as priority in Titanic sub investigation

Tuesday 27 June 2023 10:30 , Andrea Blanco

The US Coast Guard says the priority in its investigation into the fatal Titanic sub implosion is the “recovery of items from the sea floor”.

All five people aboard the OceanGate Titan submersible were killed as it dived to the wreck of the ocean liner in the Atlantic Ocean last week.

The Coast Guard opened a marine board investigation on Friday and is working with the FBI to salvage debris from the sea floor at a depth of more than two miles below surface.

The Independent’s Graeme Massie reports:

US Coast Guard declares ‘recovery of items from sea floor’ as Titanic sub priority

After the Titan implosion, the US Coast Guard wants to improve the safety of submersibles

Tuesday 27 June 2023 10:00 , Namita Singh

As an international group of agencies investigates why the Titan submersible imploded while carrying five people to the Titanic wreckage, US maritime officials say they’ll issue a report aimed at improving the safety of submersibles worldwide.

Investigators from the US, Canada, France and the United Kingdom are working closely together on the probe of the 18 June accident, which happened in an “unforgiving and difficult-to-access region” of the North Atlantic, said US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger, of the Coast Guard First District.

Salvage operations from the sea floor are ongoing, and the accident site has been mapped, Coast Guard chief investigator Captain Jason Neubauer said Sunday. He did not give a timeline for the investigation.

Mr Neubauer said the final report will be issued to the International Maritime Organization.

“My primary goal is to prevent a similar occurrence by making the necessary recommendations to advance the safety of the maritime domain worldwide,” he said.

Evidence is being collected in the port of St John’s, Newfoundland, in coordination with Canadian authorities.

All five people on board the Titan were killed. Debris from the vessel was located about 12,500 feet (3,810 meters) underwater and roughly 1,600 feet (488 meters) from the Titanic on the ocean floor, the Coast Guard said last week.

WATCH: James Cameron likens Titan submersible tragedy to Titanic

Tuesday 27 June 2023 09:30 , Andrea Blanco

The Titan implosion will be investigated by an international group of agencies

Tuesday 27 June 2023 09:00 , Namita Singh

An international group of agencies is investigating what may have caused the Titan submersible to implode while carrying five people to the Titanic wreckage, and US maritime officials say they’ll issue a report aimed at improving the safety of submersibles worldwide.

Investigators from the US, Canada, France and the United Kingdom are working closely together on the probe of the 18 June accident, which happened in an “unforgiving and difficult-to-access region” of the North Atlantic, said US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger, of the Coast Guard First District.

Salvage operations from the sea floor are ongoing, and the accident site has been mapped, Coast Guard chief investigator Capt Jason Neubauer said Sunday. He did not give a timeline for the investigation.

Mr Neubauer said the final report will be issued to the International Maritime Organization.“My primary goal is to prevent a similar occurrence by making the necessary recommendations to advance the safety of the maritime domain worldwide,” he said.

Evidence is being collected in the port of St John’s, Newfoundland, in coordination with Canadian authorities.

Who are Shahzada Dawood’s wife Christine and daughter Alina?

Tuesday 27 June 2023 07:30 , Andrea Blanco

More details have emerged about the father and son who died in the Titan disaster as the teenager’s mother reveals she was on board the support boat when the implosion happened.

Christine Dawood, mother of 19-year-old Suleman Dawood and wife to Shahzada Dawood, both of whom were on the doomed submersible, has revealed she gave up her place on the trip so her son could go.

The Independent’s Lucy Skoulding reports:

Who are Shahzada Dawood’s wife Christine and daughter Alina?

‘Ridiculous’: Titanic museums mocked for having memorials for submarine expedition

Tuesday 27 June 2023 06:00 , Namita Singh

Two memorials were held last week at Titanic museums across the US, in honour of the five people who died earlier this month on a submarine expedition to the famous ship wreck.

The services were held at Titanic museums in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Branson, Missouri.

Both museums are owned by John Josyln, part of a team that explored the Titanic wreckage in a famous 1987 televised expedition.

Report:

‘Ridiculous’: Titanic museums mocked for having memorials for submarine expedition

US Coast Guard ‘taking all precautions’ in case it finds bodies in Titan search

Tuesday 27 June 2023 05:30 , Andrea Blanco

Investigators looking into the implosion of the Titan submersible are “taking all precautions” in case they find bodies on the sea floor, it has emerged.

Captain Jason Neubauer, who is chairing the US Coast Guard investigation into the implosion of the vessel, made the comments as the search and rescue aspects of the response came to an end.

British adventurer Hamish Harding and father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood were killed on board the submersible, alongside the American chief executive of the company responsible for the vessel, Stockton Rush, and French national Paul-Henri Nargeolet.

Salvage operations are continuing and investigators have mapped the accident site, Cpt Neubauer told a press conference in Boston.

He also said the convening of a Marine Board of Investigation is the highest level of investigation conducted by the US Coast Guard. It is unclear how long it will take.

Family of billionaire and son lost on Titanic sub were aboard support ship, mother reveals

Tuesday 27 June 2023 04:30 , Andrea Blanco

Christine Dawood says she and her 17-year-old daughter, Alina, were on the Polar Prince when tragedy struck.

The Independent’s Graeme Massie reports:

Family of billionaire and son lost on Titanic sub were aboard support ship

When wealthy adventurers take huge risks, who should pay for rescue attempts?

Tuesday 27 June 2023 04:00 , Namita Singh

When millionaire Steve Fossett’s plane went missing over the Nevada range in 2007, the swashbuckling adventurer had already been the subject of two prior emergency rescue operations thousands of miles apart.

And that prompted a prickly question: After a sweeping search for the wealthy risktaker ended, who should foot the bill?

In recent days, the massive hunt for a submersible vehicle lost during a north Atlantic descent to explore the wreckage of the Titanic has refocused attention on that conundrum. And with rescuers and the public fixated first on saving and then on mourning those aboard, it has again made for uneasy conversation.

“Five people have just lost their lives and to start talking about insurance, all the rescue efforts and the cost can seem pretty heartless — but the thing is, at the end of the day, there are costs,” said Arun Upneja, dean of Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration and a researcher on tourism.

Report:

When wealthy adventurers take huge risks, who should foot the bill for rescue attempts?