News reports have revealed that the Titan submarine, operated by OceanGate Expeditions, has exploded in the Atlantic Ocean. Five people were on board the submarine when it set out on an expedition on June 18 to explore the Titanic's sunken wreckage off the coast of Newfoundland, but two hours later it lost contact.
The US Coast Guard joined forces with deep-water specialists from Canada, the UK, and France to launch a search operation for the Titan submarine, sparking a desperate multinational rescue effort. A formal inquiry has not yet been launched because maritime agencies are still busy searching the area where the vessel was destroyed.
However, the US Coast Guard confirmed there were no survivors after the catastrophic implosion deep in the North Atlantic. The submersible’s operator, OceanGate Expeditions, issued a statement grieving the five men on board, including OceanGate CEO and founder Stockton Rush, British businessman Hamish Harding, French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani billionaire Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood.
Following the news, British Asian Trust, supported by Shahzada Dawood issued a statement- “The British Asian Trust is deeply saddened by the tragic news that our supporter Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman have passed away. Shahzada was a wonderful and generous man who supported our work in South Asia for many years, while his son was just emerging into adulthood with a promising future ahead.”
The family of the Pakistani business tycoon, in an obituary, shared- “The relationship between Shahzada and Suleman was a joy to behold; they were each other’s greatest supporters and cherished a shared passion for adventure and exploration of all the world had to offer them.”
“Family values are a guiding beacon for the Dawood family and Shahzada always strived to emulate these, teaching his children to do the same. He was passionate about philanthropy and giving back because above all, he cared deeply about people and human development.”
“Suleman, much like his father, was also deeply committed to serve. His excitement to join Engro after he graduated could not be contained, culminating in an internship in the summer of 2022 to learn more about the organization that his family was such a passionate believer in; Suleman is remembered fondly by Engro colleagues as a tall young man walking around with his beloved Rubik’s cube and a smile on his face.”
According to experts, the cost of the unprecedented search for the missing Titan submersible will easily stretch into the millions of dollars. The US Coast Guard, the Canadian Coast Guard, the US Navy, as well as other government and private entities, searched an area that was thousands of miles long, twice the size of Connecticut, and in waters that were two and a half miles (4 km) deep.
Titan submersible tragedy signifies the first recorded fatalities in over six decades of civilian deep-sea exploration. However, industry experts point out that OceanGate was able to operate independently due to the lack of government regulation in international waters.
