Titan sub: US Navy heard implosion in initial phase of search ops, chose to look for survivors, says report

The US Navy has said thatthey detected an implosion on Sundayin the Atlantic Ocean during theinitial phase of the search and rescue operation to look for the survivors of the Titan submersible.

The US Coast Gard, however, decided to continue with the mission as the information received was not definitive and they wanted to "make every effort to save the lives on board," a senior Navy official told Bloomberg on the condition of anonymity.

It was only after four days on Thursday that the coast guard declared that the five crew members of the vessel died from a "catastrophic implosion" after examining debris found underwater by a remotely operated vehicle.

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The debris was found 1,600 feet (488 meters) from the bow of the Titanic.

"We immediately notified the families," Rear Admiral John Mauger said at a briefing in Boston. "On behalf of the US Coast Guard and the entire unified command, I offer my deepest condolences."

“The nose cone of the ship was discovered Thursday morning by an ROV from the vessel Horizon Arctic. Other pieces of debris, including portions of the sub's pressure hull, were found soon after,” the Coast Guard said.

Search ops to continue

The officials don’t have a timeline as to when the search operations on the sea floor would end, but Mauger added that the team would continue to collect information in order to determine the cause of the implosion.

Earlier this week, the US Coast Guard had said that it heard “banging sounds while searching for the vessel, but later added that those noises weren’t linked to the missing craft.

An elite US Navy acoustic detection system picked up the sound of a blast from near the debris site only hours after the submersible had deployed, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing a statement from a US defence official.

Tragedy

There were five men on board the Titan. They were Hamish Harding, 58, of the UK, founder of investment firm Action Group and an avid adventurer; French maritime expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet, 77; Stockton Rush, 61, Chief Executive Officer of Everett, Washington-based OceanGate Inc., which ran the expedition; and Shahzada Dawood, 48, and Suleman Dawood, 19, a father and son from one of Pakistan's most prominent families.

"These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world's oceans," OceanGate said in a statement. "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."

(With inputs from agencies)

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