- US Coast Guard Leads Investigation into Titan Submersible Explosion
- Canadian Investigators Focus on Titan’s Support Ship, the Polar Prince
- Recovery Efforts and Ongoing Search for Evidence Continue
Canadian investigators are also scrutinizing Titan’s support ship, the Polar Prince, which flies the Canadian flag.
The US Coast Guard will head the investigation into the Titan submersible explosion, which resulted in the deaths of five people.
The US National Transportation Safety Board will assist with the investigation, while Canadian investigators examine Titan’s support vessel, the Polar Prince, which flies the Canadian flag.
New investigative facts have emerged as ships involved in the round-the-clock recovery efforts have returned to port.
On Friday evening, the CCG verified that two vessels were heading to St. John’s Harbour and one was in port.
The Polar Prince is anticipated to arrive and berth early Saturday morning.
On Friday, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) searched the ocean floor for clues on the deep Atlantic event.
According to experts, the five-day search for Titan will likely cost millions of dollars.
When the Titan was reported missing on Sunday, the massive international operation by aircraft, surface ships, and deep-sea robots began.
Before it was obvious that the submersible had suffered a catastrophic implosion, searchers raced against a 96-hour clock in the desperate hope of finding and rescuing the crew before their oxygen supply ran out.
The search area encompassed thousands of miles in waters two and a half miles deep and included agencies. Such as the US Coast Guard, the Canadian Coast Guard, the US Navy, and private entities.
According to the Government Accountability Office, these agencies’ aircraft alone incur hourly costs in the tens of thousands of dollars.
The search employed turboprop P-3 Orion and jet-powered P-8 Poseidon sub-hunters in addition to C-130 Hercules.
Some organizations will seek payment for their services, but the US Coast Guard, whose cost alone will reach millions of dollars, is prohibited by federal law from seeking payment for search and rescue services.
The Titan operated in international waters, beyond the jurisdiction of the U.S. and other national laws.
It was not registered as a US vessel or with international agencies that regulate safety, nor was it classified by a maritime industry organization that establishes standards for matters such as hull construction.
British explorer Hamish Harding, father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, the chief executive of the corporation responsible for the ship, Stockton Rush, and French national Paul-Henri Nargeolet perished aboard the Titan.
Eight hours after losing communication with the trip operator, the submersible was reported missing.
On Sunday, a US Navy acoustics system detected a “anomaly” that may have been the Titan’s implosion.
OceanGate Expeditions’ Titan had observed the Titanic’s decay and aquatic ecology since 2021.
