What did OceanGate say in their first official statement on the “catastrophic implosion” of the Titan submersible?

OceanGate Expeditions issued an official statement late on Thursday, their first since it was confirmed that a “catastrophic implosion” had taken place on board the Titan submersible which disappeared shortly after setting off to visit the wreckage of the Titanic on Sunday.

The company, who have offered such expeditions since 2009, stated their belief that the five people on board, including their CEO Stockton Rush, “have sadly been lost”.

On Thursday, the United States Coast Guard announced that a debris field had been discovered in the vicinity of the Titanic and it was later confirmed by the First Coast Guard district commander that the missing craft had imploded, succumbing to the immense pressures at the depth of where the vessel rests on the Atlantic Ocean floor (around 12,500 feet/3.8 kilometres below sea level).

The US Coast Guard also declared that the five people on board were presumed dead as a result of the tragic incident. OceanGate offered the following tribute online on Thursday, also praising the efforts of everyone involved in locating and attempting to rescue the submersible.

OceanGate official statement

“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.

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 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.

This is a very sad time for the entire explorer community, and for each of the family members of those lost at sea. We respectfully ask that the privacy of these families be respected during this most painful time”.