The Coast Guard has launched the agency’s “highest level” investigation after the OceanGate Expeditions sub imploded and the five people on board died near the Titanic wreck site, as officials collect debris and try to figure out what caused the deadly accident.
The Coast Guard has officially convened a “marine board of investigation” into the loss of the Titan submersible and the five people on board, officials said at Coast Guard Base Boston on Sunday.
While the investigators primarily work to determine the cause of this marine casualty incident, the team can also make recommendations to authorities to pursue civil or criminal sanctions in connection to the fatal implosion.
“My primary goal is to prevent a similar occurrence by making the necessary recommendations to enhance the safety of the maritime domain worldwide,” Capt. Jason Neubauer, chief investigator with the U.S. Coast Guard, said during the Boston press conference on Sunday.
The search for the missing sub started last Sunday afternoon when the Coast Guard received a report of an overdue 21-foot submersible from the Canadian Research Vessel Polar Prince with five people on board, diving to view the wreckage of the Titanic.
The sub was located about 900 nautical miles east of Cape Cod, and the maximum depth of the dive went down almost 2.5 miles to the ocean floor.
The submersible was launched at 8 a.m. on Sunday, and was expected to resurface at 3 p.m. But one hour and 45 minutes into their dive, they lost contact with the Polar Prince.
Then days later on Thursday, a Canadian vessel deployed a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) — reaching the sea floor to search for the missing sub. The ROV discovered the tail cone of the sub, about 1,600 feet from the Titanic’s bow on the sea floor. The ROV then found more debris, which indicated to officials that the sub had imploded.
Now, the Coast Guard has moved from the search-and-rescue aspect of the incident to the marine board of investigation, which is the “highest level of investigation the Coast Guard conducts,” said top investigator Neubauer.
The marine board of investigation is in its initial evidence collection phase, including debris salvage operations at the incident site and evidence collection in coordination with Canadian authorities in St. John’s, Newfoundland. After evidence collection, the marine board typically holds a public hearing to gather additional witness testimony and evidence.
Upon completion of the investigation, the marine board issues a report with conclusions and recommendations “to help improve the safety framework for submersible operations worldwide,” Neubauer said.
Rear Adm. John Mauger, the First Coast Guard District commander, was asked about the cost for the search-and-rescue operation.
“As a matter of U.S. law and Coast Guard policy, the Coast Guard doesn’t charge for search and rescue, nor do we associate a cost with human life,” Mauger said. “We always answer the call.
“And so 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,” he added. “But we still answer the call. We conduct disciplined operations with warranted risk to put our resources and our lives at risk to save others. That’s who we are.”
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