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Rear Admiral John Mauger says ‘it’s still an active search and rescue’
A “debris field” near the Titanic was found Thursday in the search for the missing Titan submersible, according to the US Coast Guard.
The discovery came just after the expected deadline for remaining oxygen passed at 8am EDT (1pm UK time).
One rescue expert claimed to Sky News that the “landing frame and rear cover” from the missing sub were among the debris, citing a group text message from the president of the Explorers Club. A spokesperson for the club provided the full message to The Independent, in which its president Richard Garriott indicated the components may have been lost on “previous dives”.
CNN also viewed a Coast Guard memo which said the debris came from “the external body of the sub”.
Additional support for the international rescue effort, now in its fourth day, arrived Thursday morning to help the US Coast Guard in the search.
OceanGate Expeditions founder and CEO Stockton Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman were on board the Titan.
The watercraft submerged on Sunday morning to travel to the Titanic wreckage. It lost contact with its surface ship about 105 minutes later.
Watch live: US Coast Guard gives update on missing Titanic submersible after debris found
Ariana Baio22 June 2023 19:41
Debris found near Titanic wreckage could be from previous Titan dive
The key components of the missing submersible that were claimed to be found in the debris field, could have been from a previous Titan dive a message seen by The Independent indicates.
Trevor Hale, a spokesperson for the Explorers Club told The Independent that the message that Explorers Club president Richard Garriot sent to others in a group was misrepresented.
The “landing frame” and “rear cover” of the submersible found could have been from a previous dive.
In his message, Mr Garriot wrote: “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.”
Ariana Baio22 June 2023 19:29
Daughter of French pilot on Titanic sub says if he died he would be ‘where he loved’
The daughter of one of the five people inside the submersible missing near the wreck of the Titanic said she continued to hope they would be rescued but that she is comforted by the knowledge that her father, oceanographer Henri Nargeolet, is in the place he loved most.
Sidonie Nargeolet said she was living with “a lot of stress, very mixed emotions” as the desperate search for the missing submersible near the wreck of the Titanic entered a critical phase when air was expected to run out for the five people aboard.
Jane Dalton reports:
Ariana Baio22 June 2023 19:15
OceanGate Inc received nearly half a million in federal PPP loan
OceanGate Inc, the company that owns and operates OceanGate Expeditions, allegedly received $447,000 from the US Government’s Payment Protection Program (PPP) in 2020.
According to ProPublica’s public tracking of PPP loans, OceanGate Inc received the money to pay their 22 reported staff members during the pandemic.
The government’s loan program was meant to help companies continue to keep their workforce employed during the pandemic.
Approximately $450,074 of that loan was forgiven.
Ariana Baio22 June 2023 19:05
Unconfirmed report claims landing frame of sub is among debris field
David Mearns, a rescue expert and friend of Hamish Harding and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, told Sky News that the “debris field” allegedly includes the “landing frame and rear cover” from the missing submersible.
Mr Mearns said he is in a WhatsApp group that involves members of The Explorers Club.
He claims that the president of the Explorers Club (which the website lists as Richard Garriot) is allegedly in direct contact with the vessels at the search site and told the WhatsApp group rescuers found the “landing frame” and “rear cover.”
Mr Mearns said: “This is an unconventional submarine, that rear over is the pointy end of it and the landing frame is the little frame that it seems to sit on.”
“If the faring is off and the frame is off then something really bad has happened to the entire structure,” he claimed.
The Coast Guard and other officials have not confirmed this yet. They are expected to hold a press conference at 3pm EST.
Ariana Baio22 June 2023 18:31
Daughter of passenger on Titan submersible speaks out
Sidonie Nargeolet, the daughter of renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet told Reuters that she’s lived with a lot of mixed emotions about her father missing but knows he was doing what he was most passionate about.
“If they are not found, it will be very sad for us because we will not see him again,” Ms Nargeolet, 39, said.
Ms Nargeolet said at times she has a lot of hope that her father and the five other passengers will be found but as time goes on it becomes more difficult.
She said: “What he liked the most was to be in a submarine, (near) the Titanic. He is where he really loved being. I would prefer him (dying) at a place where he is very happy.”
Ariana Baio22 June 2023 18:15
Missing Titanic sub was low-tech on purpose to save money, subcontractor says
Doug Virnig, who helped develop the Titan, told CNN that OceanGate used off-the-shelf technology such as a Logitech video game controller, to save on research and development costs.
“It seems kind of cheesy, but if you knew the amount of technology that was packed in that controller and its capabilities, and the amount of money that it costs to develop something like that, it’s just off the charts,” he told the news network of the $29.99 controller.
Graeme Massie reports:
Ariana Baio22 June 2023 18:00
What is an ROV?
The US Coast Guard announced on Thursday morning that an ROV, or remotely-operated vehicle, discovered a “debris field” near the Titanic wreckage in the search for the missing submersible.
“While using ROVs eliminates the ‘human presence’ in the water, in most cases, ROV operations are simpler and safer to conduct than any type of occupied-submersible or diving operation because operators can stay safe (and dry!) on ship decks,” NOAA says on their website.
The ROV which found the debris field was on the Canadian vessel Horizon Arctics.
Ariana Baio22 June 2023 17:25
Coast Guard will hold press briefing at 3pm EST
Rear Admiral John Mauger and Captain Jamie Frederick of the US Coast Guard will host a press briefing at 3pm EST (8pm UK Time) to discuss updates in the search for the missing submersible as well as the news that a “debris field” was found near the Titanic wreckage.
The debris field was apparently found by the Horizon Arctics ROV on the sea floor.
Ariana Baio22 June 2023 17:10
‘Debris field’ found near Titanic wreckage
The US Coast Guard said a “debris field” was discovered in the search area near the Titanic wreckage on Thursday morning.
In a tweet, the Coast Guard said an ROV (remote operated vehicle) discovered the “debris field” while searching the designated area for the missing submersible.
“Experts within the unified command are evaluating the information,” The Coast Guard wrote.
Ariana Baio22 June 2023 16:53