Pieces of ‘Titan’ submersible wreckage retrieved from ocean
US, CANADA: Debris from the Titan was brought ashore by deep-sea robots on Wednesday as the US Coast Guard continues recovery operations following the sub’s catastrophic implosion.
The Titan’s wreckage was seen for the first time in pictures after the Coast Guard announced on June 22 that ROVs (remotely-operated vehicles) found its chambers in a sea of debris 1,600ft from the bow of the Titanic, roughly 12,000ft below the ocean surface.
Pelagic Research Services, the company that operated the ROV that made the previous debris findings, said on Wednesday that its team had successfully completed off-shore operations and was now in the process of demobilisation after 10 days of work. The company said a press conference will be held later in the day.
Photos from the wharf show what appear to be several pieces of the submersible being lifted from the ship, including the nose cone with its distinctive circular window.
The pieces were unloaded from the American ships Sycamore and Horizon Arctic at a port in St John’s, Newfoundland.
The US Coast Guard declined to comment on the investigation or the return of debris to shore. Representatives for the National Transportation Safety Board and Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), which are both involved in the investigation, also declined to comment.
The submersible lost contact with its mothership Polar Prince just one hour and 45 minutes into its descent to the wreck of the Titanic on 18 June, sparking a frantic four-day search. Canadian, American and French marine authorities and experts combed large portions of the ocean hoping to find signs of life, before the tragic developments on 22 June.
– THE INDEPENDENT