Titan Sub Implosion: Ship Footage Captures Moment of Catastrophe
New footage from the Titan Sub Imploded support ship has revealed the exact moment the Oceangate sub tragically imploded during its descent to the Titanic wreck in June 2023. The disaster claimed the lives of all five passengers aboard the sub, approximately 90 minutes into the dive.
Final Descent and Tragic Loss Titan Sub Imploded
The passengers — Oceangate CEO Stockton Rush, British explorer Hamish Harding, French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his 19-year-old son Suleman — had each paid for the opportunity to explore the Titanic, resting 3,800 meters below the ocean’s surface.
The Titanic Sub Disaster has gained unprecedented access to the U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) investigation. Recently obtained footage shows Wendy Rush, wife of Stockton Rush and a director at Oceangate, witnessing the implosion sound from the surface vessel. In the video, she hears a loud bang and asks, “What was that bang?” — the very sound that USCG later confirmed as the moment of the sub’s catastrophic failure.
Warning Signs Before the Dive
The footage reveals a text message from the sub claiming it had dropped two weights — a common maneuver — which led those on board the support ship to believe operations were continuing as planned. However, the message was delayed, and the sub had already imploded when it was received.
Prior to this fatal dive, concerns had been raised over Titan’s construction, particularly its use of carbon fibre — a material not typically used in deep-sea submersibles due to its unpredictable behavior under intense pressure. The USCG investigation found that delamination, or the separation of the carbon fibre layers, first occurred during dive number 80, a full year before the tragedy.
Lieutenant Commander Katie Williams of the USCG stated:“Delamination at dive 80 was the beginning of the end. Everyone who boarded Titan after that dive was risking their life.”
Expert Concerns and Unanswered Questions
Passengers on dive 80 had reported hearing a loud bang, which Stockton Rush attributed to the sub shifting. However, sensor data later confirmed this noise was due to material failure.
Despite these warning signs, Titan completed three more dives before the fatal one. Businessman Oisin Fanning, who was on board two of those dives, admitted he would never have gone had he known the risks.
Deep-sea explorer Victor Vescovo publicly warned others against using Titan, comparing it to playing “Russian roulette.” He had even told Stockton Rush that a catastrophic failure was inevitable.
After the Titan Sub Imploded implosion, Titan’s wreckage was recovered from the seabed. Investigators discovered personal belongings, including clothing and business cards, among the debris.
The USCG’s final investigative report is expected later this year. Legal consequences may follow, including potential criminal proceedings and private lawsuits. Christine Dawood, who lost her husband and son in the disaster, expressed her deep grief in the BBC documentary:Anyone who experiences such trauma and loss is never the same.”
Oceangate has since ceased operations and continues to cooperate with authorities. A company spokesperson stated:“We again offer our deepest condolences to the families of those who died. It would be inappropriate to comment further until investigations conclude.”
