Investigators Were Surprised by What Survived the 'Titan' Sub Implosion That Killed 5
Multiple items, including a fully-intact pen and and Titanic stickers, were found among the wreckage of the Titan submersible, according to a new documentary
A piece of a sleeve from OceanGate founder Stockton Rush, one of five people who died in the implosion, was also found among the wreckage
'There was nothing else but that,' one of the experts said in a clipSeveral surprising items were found at the bottom of the ocean after the Titan submersible imploded in 2023, officials revealed in a new documentary.
It has been nearly two years since the ill-fated submersible imploded during a trip down to the site of the Titanic, killing all five people onboard the Titan, including OceanGate founder Stockton Rush.
As the Coast Guard sifted through the debris — which turned into sludge after the water was removed — officials found parts of the sub, like carbon fiber, fiber glass and electronic parts, according to new documentary Implosion: The Titan Sub Disaster.
But some other, surprising items were found as well.
In a clip shared by Discovery on TikTok, U.S. Coast Guard Lieutenant Kelly Steele said that they also found a piece of Rush's sleeve that was "caked inside of sand."
Inside that sleeve was 'an ink pen, business cards and stickers for the Titanic," the official added.
'There was nothing else but that. But each one of those pieces, even the pen, was still intact,' Steele said. "It hadn't been broken. All of this debris. All of these things shattered, but his pen was still intact."
Debris from the Titan submersible was recovered from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean days after the implosion in June 2023. Photos from the efforts showed crews pulling multiple crumpled pieces of metal from the water.
Photos were also taken by a remotely operated vehicle of the submersible's wreckage at the bottom of the ocean, including one of the vessel's tail cone embedded into the seabed more than 12,000 feet below the water's surface.
The photo from the Atlantic Ocean was presented by the U.S. Coast Guard officials last fall as part of a hearing into the tragedy.
An animated video that detailed what is known about the Titan's final dive, including how it went into the water from the Polar Prince, its support ship, was also shown at the hearing.
Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a noted explorer known for his work with the Titanic who was on the Titan when it imploded, is believed to have sent the sub's final messages to the Polar Prince.
The Polar Prince asked the Titan for a status report after informing the submersible, 'I need better comms from you,' to which the Titan replied, 'yes.' The Titan confirmed that they could see the support shit on its display, adding 'all good here' at 10:15 a.m.
About a half hour later, at 10:47 a.m., the Titan sent another message that it had "dropped two wts,' referring to its weights, but lost contact with the surface seconds after.
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During the hearing, Former OceanGate contractor Tym Catterson testified that he believed the passengers were not aware of the danger that awaited them in their last moments.
"What I found and what I feel is that the implosion happened instantaneously," Catterson testified.
"The people in there, they had no idea this was coming,' Chatterson added. "As a matter of fact, they were probably happy to say they were all waiting to see the Titanic when this happened."
The Coast Guard is expected to publish a final report on the findings from the investigation later this year.
"We again offer our deepest condolences to the families of those who died on June 18, 2023, and to all those impacted by the tragedy," an OceanGate spokesperson tells PEOPLE in a new statement. "After the tragedy occurred, OceanGate permanently wound down its operations and focused its resources on fully cooperating with the investigations being conducted by the United States Coast Guard and the NTSB."
Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster is currently available to stream on Max and Discovery+.
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