Eerie new audio released, believed to be the moment the Titan sub imploded – National

Recently released audio recordings capture what experts believe to be the moment the Titan submersible imploded, resulting in the tragic deaths of all five individuals aboard.

The U.S. Coast Guard shared a 20-second clip of the audio on Feb. 7 as part of their investigation into the Titan’s demise.

The sub was exploring the Titanic wreckage on June 18, 2023, when the incident occurred.

The audio, recorded by a NOAA device 1,400 kilometers away from the sub’s last known location off the south coast of Newfoundland, captures a loud noise followed by silence, referred to as a “suspected acoustic signature” by NOAA.

In September of last year, coast guard officials released some of the final communications between the Titan sub and the support staff on board the Polar Prince, a vessel chartered by OceanGate, the company behind the submersible.

One of the last messages from the crew as the sub descended into the ocean read, “All good here.”

The Titan lost contact with the Polar Prince over an hour into the dive and was discovered four days later, just 300 meters from the bow of the Titanic.

The message is believed to have been written by Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a Titanic expert, and deep-sea explorer who was co-piloting the sub, along with OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush. The other individuals on board were Shahzada Dawood, Suleman Dawood, and Hamish Harding.

The Titan had been visiting the Titanic wreckage since 2021, but the 2023 incident raised concerns about its safety and the practices of OceanGate.

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The investigation revealed imperfections in the Titan’s carbon fiber hull dating back to its manufacturing process.

2:07
Titan sub hearing: 1st week filled with tearful testimonies over OceanGate disaster

During a hearing, engineer Don Kramer from the NTSB mentioned the presence of wrinkles, porosity, and voids in the carbon fiber hull of the submersible, which exhibited different behavior after a previous loud noise was heard during a dive a year before the implosion.

Pieces of the hull recovered from the ocean floor showed significant delamination of the carbon fiber layers, which were used to construct the experimental submersible, according to Kramer.

It was noted that carbon fiber is not reliable in deep water and was an unconventional choice for the Titan’s construction. Each dive likely contributed to the sub’s deterioration over time.

Following Kramer’s testimony, submersibles expert William Kohnen, who was involved in building the Titan’s window, criticized OceanGate for their practices and described the disaster as avoidable.

Kohnen was part of a group of experts who warned OceanGate about potential risks with the Titan in 2018.

He highlighted that although an arched acrylic window was recommended for structural integrity, OceanGate opted for a flat window for visual purposes.

The window was only rated for a depth of 1,300 meters, while the Titan was diving much deeper than that.

Kohnen also raised concerns about the lack of thorough testing before deploying the Titan due to its experimental nature, and criticized OceanGate’s operational practices.

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First footage of Titan sub wreckage on the ocean floor released by U.S. Coast Guard

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Kohnen stated, “I don’t believe Stockton received much pushback.” He criticized Rush for not being open to external evaluations.

He emphasized the importance of doing things correctly rather than preventing them altogether.

A final report on the incident is expected from the coast guard in the near future.

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