US Coast Guard Investigates Loss Of Titan Submersible

The Titan was part of a tourist expedition sightseeing the wreck of the British Oceanliner Titanic, which sunk on April 15th, 1912 after colliding with an iceberg.

WASHINGTON - The United States Coast Guard has convened a Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) into the loss of the Titan submersible, and the deaths of the five people that were onboard when it imploded off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

The Titan was part of a tourist expedition sightseeing the wreck of the British Oceanliner Titanic, which sunk on April 15th, 1912 after colliding with an iceberg.

U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration photo of the Titanic bow

According to the Coast Guard statement, an MBI is the “highest level of investigation in the Coast Guard,” after which the Board will issue a report to the Commandant with the evidence it collects during the investigation, along with established facts, conclusions, and recommendations.

The statement said the crew located on the Polar Prince research vessel lost contact with the Titan submersible 1 hour and 45 minutes after it began its dive on Sunday, June 18th, 2023.

Marker 1: Departure from St. John's, in Newfoundland on June 16th. Marker 2: The expedition arrives at the area where the Titanic sank on June 18th

After search and rescue efforts were carried out, the Coast Guard reported wreckage from the Titan submersible lying on the ocean floor around 500 meters (1640 feet) from the bow of the Titanic.

During the course of the MBI, the Board will work to determine: