Remains of the Titan submersible that reportedly imploded had been recovered. According to reports, the recovered debris contained presumed human remains.
Titan Sub Reportedly Contains Presumed Human Remains
On Wednesday, pieces of the sub, which reportedly imploded while making a deep dive toward the Titanic wreck, were unloaded in St. John's, Canada.
According to officials, the missing submersible's landing frame and rear cover were among the debris found. The presumed human remains will be subjected to a formal analysis by US medical authorities, according to a statement from the coast guard, per BBC.
An inquiry into the disaster's causes is still in its early stages by the agency. The evidence will be transported to a US port by the Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) of the Coast Guard for additional investigation and testing.
According to a statement by MBI chair Capt Jason Neubauer, "there is still a substantial amount of work to be done to understand the factors that contributed to the catastrophic loss of the Titan and help ensure a similar tragedy does not occur again."
Capt. Neubauer expressed his gratitude for the coordinated international and interagency assistance in recovering and preserving this crucial evidence at great offshore depths.
On June 18, the ship collapsed about 90 minutes into a dive to see the famed 1912 shipwreck, which is located in the North Atlantic at a depth of 3,800 meters (12,500 feet). All five individuals on board perished, which included Stockton Rush, the 61-year-old CEO of OceanGate, who organized the dive, and British explorer Hamish Harding, 58, Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son Suleman Dawood, 19, as well as 77-year-old French diver Paul-Henry Nargeolet.
ALSO READ: Titanic Sub Tourists May Already Be Dead From Hypothermia, Carbon Dioxide Poisoning, Expert Claims
Investigators Will Take Precaution If Human Remains Are Discovered
Officials had doubts about the likelihood of finding any bodies at first after realizing that the missing Titan sub imploded. Soon after the loss of the ship was confirmed, Coast Guard Adm John Mauger said there is an incredibly unforgiving environment underwater.
At the time, Capt. Neubauer stated that if human remains were found, investigators would take "all precautions" and that the investigation would probably involve official testimony from witnesses.
According to the coast guard, five significant fragments of the sub have so far been located in a sizable debris field close to the Titanic's bow.
According to BBC science journalist Jonathan Amos, the debris that washed up on Wednesday looked to comprise at least one titanium end cap, the sub's porthole with its window missing, a titanium ring, landing frame, and the end equipment bay.
A remotely operated vehicle operated by Pelagic Research Services was aboard the Canadian ship Horizon Arctic, which was in charge of the recovery mission. In a statement released earlier on Wednesday, the business stated that its staff had finished its offshore operations and was returning to base.
Former employees have expressed worries about the Titan sub, which was not subject to regulation, and former employees have criticized OceanGate for its safety procedures.
However, Rush had previously dismissed safety concerns. He even said he was "tired of industry players who try to use a safety argument to stop innovation."
RELATED ARTICLE: How To Prove Missing Titanic Submersible Titan Disappeared Due to Catastrophic Implosion? Experts Explain
Check out more news and information on Environment and Climate in Science Times.