The final communications from the Titan submersible before it imploded during its ill-fated voyage to the Titanic wreck have been disclosed. These messages show that while the five passengers on board encountered communication issues, they reportedly felt everything was “all good” shortly before losing contact with the surface.
The texts exchanged between the Titan and its support ship, the Polar Prince, were presented as part of a re-enactment of the dive by U.S. Coast Guard officials on Monday, Sept. 16. This presentation marked the beginning of a two-week hearing into the tragedy.
The animated video provided by the Coast Guard illustrates the Titan’s descent from the Polar Prince, which began off the coast of Canada at approximately 9:20 a.m. local time on June 18, 2023. For the next 40 minutes, the submersible and the ship exchanged routine messages. Problems emerged just before 10 a.m. when the Polar Prince repeatedly inquired whether the Titan could see the ship on its display. The lack of response led to increasingly urgent messages.
Around 10:15 a.m., the Titan acknowledged the communication issue. The Polar Prince then requested better communication, to which the Titan responded affirmatively, indicating they had “lost system oand [sic] chat settings.” The Coast Guard believes these messages were sent by Paul-Henry Nargeolet, a renowned explorer aboard the submersible.
Subsequent messages showed that the Titan was able to confirm it saw the Polar Prince on its display and reported that everything was “all good here.” At 10:24 a.m., the Titan notified the Polar Prince that they were “east south east [of] the nbow,” suggesting proximity to the Titanic wreck.
Shortly after, the Polar Prince again asked if the Titan could see them on its display. The Titan then inquired if the Polar Prince was also near the bow, to which the Polar Prince responded that it was en route but noted that the Titan’s position was fluctuating significantly with each ping. This exchange occurred at 10:36 a.m., just 11 minutes before contact was lost.
At 10:47 a.m., the Titan, now at a depth of approximately 3,350 meters and under a pressure of 4,900 pounds per square inch, reported that it had “dropped two wts,” referring to its weights. Contact was lost almost immediately after this message, precisely at 10:47:32 a.m., according to the Coast Guard.
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Four days later, fragments of the Titan were discovered about 500 meters from the Titanic wreck. All five passengers—Nargeolet, Hamish Harding, father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, and Stockton Rush, co-founder of OceanGate—perished in the implosion.
In response to the ongoing investigation, OceanGate has suspended its operations. The company has stated that it has fully cooperated with governmental probes into the incident.
The hearing that commenced Monday will review testimony from technical experts, crew members, and other relevant parties. It aims to examine evidence related to the submersible’s design, operation, and safety protocols.
Questions regarding the final moments of the Titan’s passengers continue to spark discussion. Nargeolet’s family has filed a lawsuit claiming that the passengers experienced “terror and mental anguish” and were aware of their peril before the implosion. However, some experts have disputed this notion.
One expert, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the investigation and legal matters, explained that dropping weights is a normal procedure as a submersible approaches its destination. “The way a sub operates is that you load it up with weight at the top so that on the surface it’s heavy and can sink through the water column,” the expert said. “As you near the bottom, you want to slow down by releasing weight to become more neutrally buoyant, which allows you to move around with minimal energy.”
The expert emphasized that the act of dropping weights does not necessarily indicate trouble but rather signifies that the submersible is nearing its destination, in this case, the Titanic.
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The investigation into the Titan’s implosion continues, with the hearing expected to provide further insights into the tragedy.
