Senior Science Journalist
Footage captured on the OceanGate Titan’s support ship reveals the moment it was lost.
Titan collapsed around 90 minutes into its descent to the Titanic wreck in June 2023, resulting in the deaths of all five individuals aboard.
The passengers had paid to experience the ship, located 3,800 meters below sea level.
On board were OceanGate’s CEO Stockton Rush, British explorer Hamish Harding, veteran French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood with his 19-year-old son Suleman.
The BBC received exclusive access to the US Coast Guard’s (USCG) investigation for their documentary titled, *Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster*.
The recently obtained footage shows Wendy Rush, director at OceanGate, reacting to the implosion sound while monitoring from the support ship and asking the crew, “What was that bang?”
This video has been submitted as evidence to the USCG Marine Board of Investigation, which has spent two years investigating the vessel’s fatal failure.
The documentary indicates that the carbon fiber used in the sub started to deteriorate a year prior to the tragic dive.
While diving in the Atlantic Ocean, Titan’s support ship captured footage of Mrs. Rush at a computer used to communicate with Titan.
At a depth of about 3,300 meters, a noise resembling a door slamming is heard, prompting Mrs. Rush to inquire about it.
Shortly after, she received a text from Titan detailing that two weights had been dropped, leading her to believe the dive was proceeding normally.
However, the USCG confirms the noise was actually the sound of Titan imploding. The text message, sent moments before the failure, was delayed in reaching the ship.
All five individuals aboard Titan perished instantly.
Prior to the tragic dive, concerns had been raised by deep-sea experts and some former OceanGate employees regarding Titan’s design. One expert described it as an “abomination,” asserting that the disaster was “inevitable.”
Titan had never received an independent safety assessment, known as certification. A major concern was that its hull—where passengers sat—was constructed of layers of carbon fiber combined with resin.
The USCG has identified the moment when the hull began to fail.
Carbon fiber is exceptionally unusual for deep-sea submersibles, as it tends to be unreliable under pressure. A recognized issue is that the layers of carbon fiber can separate, referred to as delamination.
The USCG suspects that during a dive to the Titanic—a year before the disaster—Titan’s carbon fiber layers began to break apart, marking the 80th dive.
Passengers reported hearing a loud bang while returning to the surface, with Mr. Rush attributing the noise to the sub’s shift within its frame.
However, USCG data gathered from sensors indicates the bang was a result of delamination.
“Delamination at dive 80 marked the start of the end,” stated Lieutenant Commander Katie Williams from the USCG.
“Anyone boarding Titan after dive 80 was risking their lives.”
Titan undertook three additional dives in summer 2022—two to the Titanic and one to a nearby reef—before failing during its next deep dive in June 2023.
US Coastguard
Businessman Oisin Fanning participated in Titan’s last two dives before the tragedy.
“If you were to ask me simply: ‘Would you go again knowing what you know now?’ – the answer is no,” he expressed to BBC News.
“Many individuals would not have participated. Very bright individuals lost their lives, who, had they had all the information, would not have made that journey.”
Deep-sea explorer Victor Vescovo voiced serious concerns about Titan, equating the experience to playing Russian roulette.
“I myself cautioned people against boarding that submersible. I particularly told them it was just a matter of time until it failed catastrophically. I conveyed this to Stockton Rush directly.”
After the implosion, the wreckage was discovered scattered across the Atlantic seabed.
The USCG has described the painstaking process of examining the recovered debris, noting that clothing and personal items belonging to Mr. Rush—including business cards and Titanic-themed stickers—were found.
Supplied via Reuters / AFP
Later this year, the US Coast Guard plans to release a comprehensive report based on its investigation, aiming to clarify the failures that led to the catastrophe and prevent similar incidents in the future.
Christine Dawood, who lost her husband Shahzada and son Suleman in the incident, shared that the experience has altered her life irreversibly.
“I believe that anyone who endures such loss and trauma will never be the same,” she conveyed.
The repercussions of the OceanGate tragedy are expected to last for years—some private lawsuits have already been initiated, and criminal proceedings may follow.
In response, OceanGate stated to the BBC: “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of those who died on June 18, 2023, and to all who were affected by this tragic event.”
“Since this tragedy, OceanGate has ceased operations and is devoted to fully cooperating with investigations. It is inappropriate to comment further while awaiting the agencies’ reports.”
*Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster* will air at 9 PM on Tuesday, May 27, on BBC Two and will also be available on BBC iPlayer.
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