BOSTON – The US Coast Guard has started an investigation into the deadly implosion of the tourist submersible that killed all five people aboard, including Pakistani business tycoon and his son.
The incident happened last week when a submarine, operated by Oceangate, met the accident during a dive to see the century-old wrecks of the Titanic. Pakistan’s Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman, a British billionaire and two others were killed in the incident, confirmed the coast guard and the touring company after days long search.
The announcement for launching the investigation comes a day after the Canadian Transportation Safety Board said it had started an independent probe into the Titan’s tragic implosion, which has raised questions about the unregulated nature of such expeditions.
“My primary goal is to prevent a similar occurrence by making the necessary recommendations to enhance the safety of the maritime domain worldwide,” US Coast Guard’s chief investigator Captain Jason Neubauer said at a press conference in Boston.
He said the Coast Guard has contacted with the FBI to recover evidence, adding that the findings will be shared with the International Maritime Organisation and other groups “to help improve the safety framework for submersible operations worldwide”.
He said the investigation teams are “taking all precautions on site if we are to encounter any human remains.”
On Thursday, the US Coast Guard and OceanGate Expeditions had confirmed the deaths of the five men on the missing Titan submersible.
Parts of the missing submersible had been discovered on the ocean floor, 500 meters from the bow of the famous ship they died trying to see. The landing frame and rear cover of the missing submersible were discovered by a remote operated submarine in a devastating blow to any hope that the men may still be found alive.
Oceangate, the operator of the missing submersible near the Titanic wreck, announced with great solemnity that they believed all five individuals on board had perished due to a devastating implosion of the vessel at the ocean’s depths.
Oceangate released a statement stating, “We sadly believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood, and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet have been lost. These men were genuine explorers who shared an extraordinary spirit of adventure and a profound dedication to exploring and safeguarding the world’s oceans.”
FO offers condolences to Dawood family after Titanic sub tragedy
