Coast Guard Discovers Potential Human Remains

This article has been updated with the latest announcement from the Coast Guard.
On Wednesday, the Coast Guard recovered wreckage from the Titan submersible in the North Atlantic. The retrieved parts were found to contain human remains. The Titan, which had five people on board, had imploded on June 18. According to a statement given to The New York Times by the Coast Guard, once the recovered material is brought to a US port, medical professionals will conduct a formal analysis of the presumed human remains found within the wreckage at the incident site.

The Canadian ship Horizon Arctic transported parts of the 22-foot long submersible to a Canadian Coast Guard pier in Newfoundland on Wednesday, as reported by the Independent. The Horizon Arctic was carrying the Odysseus, a remotely operated vehicle that discovered debris from the Titan near the wreckage of the Titanic. The discovery ended the frantic search for the submersible and any potential survivors, according to the CBC. Officials state that the sub imploded while descending to reach a viewing distance of the Titanic’s resting place.

The Guardian reports that pieces of metal resembling parts of the Titan’s hull and landing skids were brought up to the pier, along with tangled cables. Pelagic Research Services, the owner of the Odysseus, has stated that their team is still “on mission” and unable to comment on the investigation. The company’s spokesperson, Jeff Mahoney, mentioned that the team has been working tirelessly for the past ten days, facing physical and mental challenges. They are eager to complete the mission and be reunited with their loved ones, he added, according to the AP.

The investigation into the disaster will involve transportation safety boards in the US and Canada, as well as the US Coast Guard and Canadian police. Tom Maddox, CEO of Underwater Forensic Investigations, explains to the CBC that the investigation will involve reassembling the submersible’s parts like a puzzle to determine the point of failure, similar to a plane crash investigation. However, due to the extensive implosion, this task will be challenging as a large portion of the craft would have disintegrated. Following the discovery of the debris, director James Cameron expressed regret for not speaking out earlier about his concerns regarding the design and construction of the OceanGate vessel.