OceanGate Says Submarine Passengers Are Dead, But How Did They Die?

OceanGate released an official statement on June 22, 2023, to address the situation of the lost submarine known as Titan. The company believes that all five passengers are now dead. "We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost,” the company stated.

“These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans,” their statement continued. “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.”

When this announcement made headlines, a lingering question arose among everyone: How did the passengers die? According to expert theories, there are three possible conclusions: First, a rupture occurs in the sub's external shell, causing an implosion that would result in quick deaths. Second, if the submarine got stuck somewhere, like on a piece of the Titanic wreckage, they'd die from lack of oxygen and low temperatures. The last scenario is if the sub reached the surface but was lost. In this case, passengers would eventually run out of oxygen supply and die. There is still no conclusion about what resulted in the passengers' deaths, although indications indicate the likelihood of an implosion. Here's why.

The U.S. Coast Guard revealed they found debris near the Titanic earlier today. "A debris field was discovered within the search area by an ROV near the Titanic. Experts within the unified command are evaluating the information," they wrote on Twitter. First Coast Guard District commander, Rear Admiral John Mauger, says they have notified the family members of their loss. “Upon this determination, we immediately notified the families,” he said. "On behalf of the United States Coast Guard and the entire unified command, I offer my deepest condolences to the families. I can only imagine what this has been like for them."

Mauger added that the debris was located 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic wreckage lying more than two miles beneath the surface. This is the spot where the Titan submarine was headed prior to losing communication less than two hours into its dive on June 18. Remote-controlled vehicles will still be used to gather additional information about the debris that was found. When the admiral was asked if efforts would be made to recover the bodies of the passengers, he said it's an “incredibly unforgiving environment down there on the sea floor, and the debris is consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel.” However, it's unsure when the vessel imploded – it could have happened right away, or it could have happened sometime after they lost communication.

Luckily, it seems passengers didn't have to suffer for long. Mauger said the implosion likely occurred before the rescue teams began surveying the area since they did not record any signs of implosion during the search. "We know that as we’ve been prosecuting this search over the course of the last 72 hours and beyond that we have had sonar buoys in the water nearly continuously and have not detected any catastrophic events when those sonar buoys have been in the water,” Mauger explained.

This week, social media personalities have been split on the announcement of the missing passengers. Some proclaimed that billionaires "deserved to die," while others argued that this mentality was cruel. But my concern is this: When a majority laugh or mock someone's death, we inadvertently desensitize ourselves to the gravity of death itself.

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