Four days after going missing, the company operating the Titanic research submersible is addressing the fate of its passengers.
“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,” OceanGate said in a June 22 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. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew.”
“This is an extremely sad time for our dedicated employees who are exhausted and grieving deeply over this loss,” the company continued. ”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.”
OceanGate concluded its statement by asking for privacy for the families impacted by the tragedy.
The Coast Guard announced on Twitter June 22 that debris found within the search area ”by an ROV near the Titanic,” noting “experts within the unified command are evaluating the information.” In a press conference later in the day, officials said confirmed that the debris is from the external part of the sub.