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In a somber statement Thursday afternoon, submersible company OceanGate announced that it believes all passengers on the Titanic-bound submersible have “sadly been lost.”
“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,” the company said in a statement relayed by CNN.
“These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans,” the statement continues. “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.”
US Coast Guard officials announced a “debris field was discovered” by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) near the Titanic wreckage site.
Search and rescue teams have been scouring the ocean 900 nautical miles east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, for the missing tourist submersible craft with five people for several days. Time is running out as the oxygen supply on the vessel may be depleted.
A rescue expert told Sky News the “debris field” near the wreckage site of the Titanic includes “a landing frame and a rear cover from the submersible.”