US authorities conduct DNA tests on human remains recovered from Titan sub wreckage
After the implosion of OceanGate Expedition’s Titan submersible during its ill-fated dive to the Titanic wreck, investigators in the United States are now facing a challenge – identifying the human remains found amidst the sub wreckage.
Searchers in the vast expanse of the North Atlantic Ocean managed to retrieve substantial fragments of the doomed submersible, which tragically imploded less than two hours into its dive on June 18. Alongside the debris, what appears to be human remains were also discovered.
A brief statement from the U.S. Coast Guard on Monday revealed, “United States medical professionals are conducting a formal DNA analysis of presumed human remains that have been carefully recovered from within the wreckage at the site of the incident.”
The identities of the deceased are believed to be among five individuals – Stockton Rush, Hamish Harding, Suleman Dawood, Shahzada Dawood, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
After the implosion, OceanGate’s experimental approach to deep-sea exploration faced criticism from industry experts, drawing international attention amidst the fervor following the vessel’s disappearance.
The investigation into this maritime tragedy spans multiple jurisdictions, with agencies from the United States and Canada at the helm. Experts from the United Kingdom and France have also lent their expertise to the probe. The U.S. Coast Guard, leading the charge, called for a Marine Board of Investigation – the highest level of inquiry available to them – to unravel the mystery surrounding the incident.
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A spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that the investigation is still in the fact-finding stage, with all evidence retrieved from the ocean floor handed over to them. This includes the titanium end caps of the submersible and other retrieved pieces, brought ashore in St. John’s on June 28.
Once the fact-finding phase concludes, public hearings by the Marine Board of Investigation will be convened. Empowered with the authority to issue subpoenas, production orders, and summon witnesses to testify, the board will pursue answers in full public view.
No dates have been set for these hearings yet, underscoring the gravity of the situation, as the coast guard reserves Marine Boards of Investigation for the most severe nautical disasters. Recent precedents include the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 and the tragic loss of 33 lives aboard the cargo ship El Faro off the coast of Florida in 2015.