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A trailer featuring the OceanGate logo is pictured near a trailer and other equipment at OceanGate Expedition’s headqurters in the Port of Everett Boat Yard in Everett, Washington, on June 22, 2023.
Jason Redmond | AFP | Getty Images
OceanGate said it is suspending all exploration and commercial operations weeks after its submersible imploded near the Titanic wreckage site killing all five people on board.
The company made the announcement Thursday, posting a brief message on the top of its website. “OceanGate has suspended all exploration and commercial operations,” it read.
About two weeks ago, human remains were recovered from the wreckage of the Titan, a submersible operated by OceanGate Expeditions that was carrying the company’s CEO Stockton Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, French diver Paul Henry Nargeolet, prominent Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman, on a voyage to explore the remnants of the luxury cruise liner that sank 111 years ago.
It was the OceanGate submersible’s third trip to the remains and cost $250,000 per traveler.
Debris from the Titan was found on the ocean floor near the bow of the Titanic. A remote-operated vehicle was sent roughly 12,500 feet underwater to recover the sub’s remains.
What appeared to be chunks of the Titan were transported to the Horizon Arctic, a Canadian ship. It’s unclear what parts were recovered; one particularly large piece could be seen with several large wires attached to it.
The dive started from the Polar Prince, a Canadian research vessel, on June 18 but an hour and 45 minutes in the Polar Prince lost contact with the Titan. It sparked a massive search that captured the world’s attention. Multiple countries sent resources in a frantic search for the sub, led by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Initially, there were concerns that the Titan would run out of air before rescuers could get to it, but officials believe the sub suffered a “catastrophic implosion” that instantaneously killed the crew. The cause remains under investigation.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
— Doha Madani and Daniel Arkin contributed.
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