Company That Owns Missing Titan Submersible Says All 5 Aboard 'Have Sadly Been Lost'; Coast Guard Confirms Debris

OceanGate Expeditions, the company that operated the submersible known as the Titan, which went missing earlier this week, says all aboard are believed to have died.

“We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost,” the company said in a statement.

“These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans. Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew.”

OceanGate's statement comes shortly after rescuers announced they discovered a debris field in the vicinity of the Titanic.

The debris was found around 1,600 meters from the bow of the Titanic itself and was discovered by an ROV, a remotely operated vehicle. This ROV was launched by the Canadian vessel Horizon Arctic.

Coast Guard Confirmed Debris Came From The Submersible

The Coast Guard held a press conference at the Coast Guard base in Boston to discuss the ROV's findings.

There, US Navy salvage expert Paul Hankins revealed that five pieces of debris had been located. Several of them — including a nose cone and parts of the hull — confirmed the debris came from the Titan.

According to The New York Times, Rear Adm. John Mauger described the findings as “consistent with catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber.”

Officials are still working on a timeline of events and say it's too early to determine when the craft imploded.

Coast Guard officials also mentioned that banging sounds that had been picked up in the area are not believed to have had anything to do with the missing submersible.

Additionally, Mauger said that an implosion “would have generated significant broadband sound down there that the sonar buoys would have picked up.” However, none in the area picked up anything of the sort.

Rescuers and many watching from around the world were holding out hope for a miracle. Unfortunately, the odds were stacked heavily against that outcome.

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