All Five on the Missing Submarine are Presumed Dead by OceanGate

When search-and-rescue teams found a "debris field" on the ocean bottom close to the Titanic site, which is where the crew was headed before losing touch with their surface vehicle Sunday morning, the search for the missing OceanGate Titan submersible tragically came to an end.

The Coast Guard said at a news briefing on Thursday, "The debris is consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber. Upon this determination, we immediately notified the families on behalf of the United States Coast Guard and the entire unified command."

The announcement was made a few hours after the USCG informed the public that the discovery had been discovered by a robotic vehicle.

The USCG said, "A debris field was discovered within the search area by an ROV near the Titanic." 

Around 1 hour and 45 minutes into its dive on Sunday morning, the Titan lost contact with the Polar Prince, its surface ship, around 900 miles east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and about 400 miles southeast of St. John's, in Canada's Newfoundland.

CEO of OceanGate Stockton Rush, British businessman-turned-adventurer Hamish Harding, father-and-son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, who is descended from one of the wealthiest families in Pakistan, and Paul-Henry Nargeolet, a renowned Titanic specialist, are among those present within the enclosed submarine.

According to a spokesman, Richard Garriott, the president of the Explorers Club, which had members on the missing submarine, wrote to the group, "We understand debris has been found which may be the landing frame and a rear cover of the tail instrument compartment of The Titan lost on previous dives. We hear there may be additional debris, but no updated visuals of the submersible."

OceanGate said in a statement, "These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans. Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time."

"These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans. Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew."

"This is a very sad time for the entire explorer community, and for each of the family members of those lost at sea. We respectfully ask that the privacy of these families be respected during this most painful time."

"This is an extremely sad time for our dedicated employees who are exhausted and grieving deeply over this loss. The entire OceanGate family is deeply grateful for the countless men and women from multiple organizations of the international community who expedited wide-ranging resources and have worked so very hard on this mission. We appreciate their commitment to finding these five explorers, and their days and nights of tireless work in support of our crew and their families."

All five passengers of the missing submarine passed away when it imploded near the Titanic's wreckage, the Coast Guard confirmed on Thursday.