BOSTON — The U.S. Coast Guard's immediate priority as it launches an investigation into the implosion of a submersible that was exploring the Titanic wreckage will be the recovery of evidence from the sea floor, an official said on Sunday.
Captain Jason Neubauer, who is leading the Coast Guard's probe into the disaster that claimed five lives, told a news conference in Boston that crews "are taking all precautions on-site" to recover human remains if they encounter them.
Canada's Transportation Safety Board has also launched an investigation into the ship, the Polar Prince, which ferried the doomed Titan submersible to its dive site, and the RCMP says it is looking to determine whether a full investigation into the deaths of the five people on the sub is warranted.
Neubauer says the Coast Guard's investigation began Friday not long after it was confirmed the submersible, which had been missing since last Sunday, catastrophically failed in its exploration.
He says the investigation will work to determine what led to the tragedy, as well as make recommendations to appropriate authorities to pursue civil or criminal charges, as necessary.
Rear Admiral John Mauger told the news conference he was in St. John's, N.L., on Saturday to meet with some of the grieving families, and he thanked the first responders who he says "put forth their best effort" to find the submersible.
"While in Canada, I met with and personally thanked members of the Canadian Coast Guard and the Canadian Armed Forces, who demonstrated the utmost professionalism and expertise throughout the response," Mauger said.
Neubauer said that, typically, once the initial phase of collecting evidence has concluded, a formal hearing is held to gather additional witness testimony.
The investigation, he said, will work closely with other national and international agencies, including the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, the Canadian Transportation Safety Board, as well as marine investigation authorities in France and the United Kingdom.
Its final report will be presented to the Coast Guard's commandant and other international agencies involved in the investigation.
Neubauer did not say what may have been recovered from the sea floor so far, but added that evidence will not be released as it is collected out of respect for other agencies involved, and for the victims' families.
He didn't provide a timeline for the investigation and said interviews are scheduled with the crew of the Polar Prince.
"The resources are on-site and capable of recovering the debris," Neubauer said.
Titan owner OceanGate Expeditions is based in the United States, the submersible was registered in the Bahamas and those killed in the possible implosion hailed from England, Pakistan, France and the U.S.
The Polar Prince, owned by the Miawpukek First Nation in southern Newfoundland, had towed the doomed Titan to the Titanic site about 700 kilometres south of the provincial capital and had helped to launch it on its dive last Sunday.
The Titan lost contact with the Polar Prince about an hour and 45 minutes into its descent to the wreck of the Titanic, almost four kilometres below the surface of the sea.
All five passengers and crew were declared dead Thursday soon after a team guiding a remotely operated vehicle spotted the Titan's wreckage about 500 metres from the bow of the sunken luxury liner.
Mauger did not divulge the cost of the search and rescue when asked by reporters, but said the Coast Guard doesn't charge for such operations and doesn't put a cost on human life.
"The ocean remains an unforgiving environment and every weekend there are risks that are taken as people go to the water with inadequate safety gear, with inadequate training or boating while intoxicated," Mauger said.
"But we still answer the call."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2023.
The Canadian Press
