Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigators recently visited the Polar Prince, the lead ship of the OceanGate Titan sub, in order to gather crucial information from the vessel’s voyage data recorder and other onboard systems, according to TSB Chairwoman Kathy Fox, who spoke to CNN.
Fox emphasized that their objective is to ascertain what transpired, the reasons behind it, and identify necessary changes to minimize the likelihood of such incidents in the future.
While she acknowledged the potential usefulness of voice recordings for the investigation, she maintained that assigning blame is not the primary focus.
Simultaneously, authorities are evaluating whether the circumstances warrant a criminal inquiry, as stated by Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superintendent Kent Osmond during a press briefing on Saturday. Osmond clarified, “Such an investigation will proceed only if our examination of the circumstances indicates the possible violation of criminal, federal, or provincial laws.”
On June 18, OceanGate Expeditions’ Titan submersible descended into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, carrying five passengers en route to explore the Titanic wreckage located 12,500 feet below the surface.
The occupants of the sub ranged in age from 19 to 77 and included two billionaires, a pioneer, the CEO and founder of the company, and a college student.
The submersible was sealed by 17 bolts that could only be opened from the outside, and it was estimated to have 96 hours of oxygen reserves when it embarked on its underwater journey.
Experts approximated that the submersible had reached a depth of nearly 10,000 feet, about one hour and 45 minutes into the expedition, when all communications ceased.
Initial reports of recurring underwater noises described as “banging” and “tapping” initially sparked hope but were later determined to be unrelated to the missing crew.
The US Coast Guard revealed on Thursday that debris had been discovered on the ocean floor approximately 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic, suggesting a catastrophic implosion of the submersible.
Tragically, the bodies of the five individuals aboard—Sulaiman Dawood (19), his father Shahzada Dawood (48), British billionaire Hamish Harding (58), renowned Titanic explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet (77), and OceanGate’s founder and CEO Stockton Rush (61)—are unlikely to be recovered.
In 2018, the Marine Technology Society had sent a letter to Rush, cautioning him about the critical importance of subjecting OceanGate’s prototypes to rigorous third-party testing before undertaking deep-sea dives to ensure the safety of passengers.
Allegedly, Rush had declined to comply with this recommendation.
