Authorities Reviewing Evidence from Titan Submersible Tragedy

Authorities from the U.S., Canada and France are combing through evidence recovered from the Titan submersible that suffered a catastrophic implosion en route to the wreckage of the Titanic in June.

Investigators from the U.S. Coast Guard, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) and the French Marine Casualty Investigation Authority (BEAmer) conducted an onsite evidence review in Newport, R.I., on November 8, as part of their respective parallel safety investigations.

"This effort underscores the importance of international and interagency coordination in marine casualty investigations,” said Jason Neubauer, Coast Guard chair for the Titan Marine Board of Investigation (MBI). "Our partnerships with NTSB, TSB and the French Marine Casualty Investigation Authority enabled a thorough examination of the international incident, promoting safety and transparency.”

The MBI will continue to conduct evidence analysis and witness interviews ahead of a public hearing about the tragedy. A hearing date has not been announced.

In June, the Titan imploded while on a voyage to visit the Titanic wreck site, killing all five people on board. The deep-sea submersible, operated by OceanGate Expeditions, was discovered in pieces on the seabed some 1,600 feet from the bow of the sunken ocean liner. 

U.S. Coast Guard engineers in October recovered remaining debris and presumed human remains from the imploded submersible in the North Atlantic.