‘Presumed Human Remains’ Found within Recovered Titan Wreckage, US Coast Guard Says

The Titan submersible imploded after it began its dive into the Titanic wreck on June 18, 2023. Since then, a remote-operated vessel (ROV) found debris around the site where the sub is said to have imploded.

However, until now, there has been no sign of the five men who were on the vessel when it imploded. Search efforts have been looking for the remains of the men who were presumed dead after the debris from the vessel was discovered.

Reports are now saying that there may be a sign that the remains of the five men have been discovered by search and rescue efforts. It seems the remains found near the site might belong to any of the five men aboard the vehicle.

OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son were all on the vessel that disappeared last week.

As search and rescue efforts trawled the ocean to find the submersible and the men on board, the world watched on, hoping they would be safely returned home. Unfortunately, days after the sub went missing, it was confirmed that the sub had imploded, and the passengers were presumed dead.

Debris from the vessel was found 1,600 feet from the Titanic wreckage. While the debris has been brought up over the past couple of hours, the Coast Guard admitted the bodies of the men might never be recovered because the conditions the men were in were “unforgiving.”

Although the Coast Guard did not expect to find the remains of the men, they mentioned that they were still searching for them. In a statement, the Coast Guard said:

“After consultation with international partner investigative agencies, the Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) intends to transport the evidence aboard a US Coast Guard cutter to a port in the United States where the MBI will be able to facilitate further analysis and testing.”

This indicates that the debris is being transported from the site where it was brought to the surface in Canada to a facility where scientists can carefully study the debris in the coming days.

On the morning of June 28, debris found near the Titanic wreckage from the Titan’s vessel was hauled to shore in St. John’s, Newfoundland. The porthole, out of which the five men would have seen the Titanic, was one of the pieces brought ashore.

The debris was covered in large tarps and then lifted by cranes, but some parts of the debris could be seen, showing some cables and mechanical components. However, there had been no news regarding the remains of the five men.

The US Coast Guard recovered “presumed human remains” from the ocean floor. A formal analysis of the remains will be completed now. Like the debris, the remains will be transported from St. John’s, Newfoundland, to a US Port on a Coast Guard cutter.

The investigations that will be done on the remains will form part of an investigation into what went awry with the vessel. The announcement came hours after photos of the mangled debris from the Titan were made public.

Marine Board of Investigation chair Captain Jason Neubauer talked about the discovery, sharing:

“I am grateful for the coordinated international and interagency support to recover and preserve this vital evidence at extreme offshore distances and depths.”

Neubauer also mentioned that studying the remains would provide critical insights into the tragedy. The Titan was made of carbon fiber and titanium and weighed 23,000 pounds, according to OceanGate.