The wife of OceanGate’s chief executive asked “what was that bang?” as she unknowingly heard the moment the Titan submersible imploded.
New footage released by the US Coast Guard (USCG) shows Wendy Rush, wife of Stockton Rush, attempting to contact those on board the doomed vessel during its descent to see the wreck of the Titanic.
All five on board were killed in the incident in June 2023, including Titan operator and OceanGate founder Mr Rush, British adventurer Hamish Harding, French deep sea explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman.
In the USCG footage, OceanGate director Mrs Rush and colleague Gary Foss are seen tracking the Titan’s journey in the North Atlantic Ocean from support vessel Polar Prince.
After the implosion is heard, Mrs Rush asks: “What was that bang?”
The USCG believe the noise – which sounded like a door slamming – was the sound of the Titan’s implosion reaching the surface of the ocean.
Read more:
What happened to the Titan? Everything we know
The stories of those on the Titan submersible
Moments later, Mrs Rush receives a message from the sub saying it had dropped two weights.
The team assume the Titan is continuing its descent, but investigators would later believe the delayed message was sent prior to the sub failing.
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The footage has been presented as evidence to the USCG Marine Board of Investigation as part of its probe into the incident.
A final report will be released following its completion.
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The Titan tragedy occurred about 90 minutes into the descent on 18 June 2023.
After five frantic days of searching, the wreckage was eventually found on the ocean floor around 500m from the bow of the Titanic’s wreck.
The passengers had paid OceanGate to see the famous ship, which lies 3,800m below the surface.
Following the disaster, concerns were raised over the Titan’s unconventional design and Mr Rush’s refusal to submit to independent safety checks.
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The coastguard panel investigating the incident heard two weeks of testimony last September, which saw a former OceanGate scientific director say the Titan malfunctioned during a dive just a few days before it imploded.
OceanGate suspended all exploration and commercial operations in July 2023.
