The first picture of the Titan submersible that imploded in June last year during its descent to the Titanic wreckage site was revealed by the US Coast Guard on Monday at a public hearing into the deaths of five people onboard the vessel.
A text conversation between the Titan's crew and the Polar Prince, a nearby support ship, was also revealed during the hearing. When asked if it was visible on Polar Prince's informational display, a chilling three-word text from the Titan's crew came, saying, "All good here," even as the sub descended further, The Guardian reported.
The image of the ill-fated Titan, captured during the frantic search for the vessel last year, showed the sub's broken tail cone resting on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean at a depth of 12,500 feet, giving a chilling reminder to the viewers about the aftermath of the implosion.
Fragments of the sub were also visible on the ocean floor -- the debris that was found by the search teams that confirmed the sub's implosion.
According to the Marine Board of Investigation, the Titan's detached tail cone and other debris gave "conclusive evidence" that the sub suffered a "catastrophic implosion", CNN reported.
In a final message, Titan's crew informed Polar Prince that it "dropped two wts", meaning that the sub had lost two measures of weight in an attempt to ascend back to the ocean's surface. Following this, the vessel ultimately lost contact with the support ship and imploded.
OceanGate, the company that developed the Titan, had come under intense scrutiny as former employees and whistleblowers expressed concerns over the design of the vessel.
Tony Nissen, the former engineering director, spoke about the pressure to expedite the Titan's launch despite his reservations. Another contractor, Tym Catterson, expressed his doubts about the suitability of the materials -- carbon fibre and titanium -- used in the submersible's construction, according to The Guardian.
"I don’t believe that the composites are the correct material for a pressure vessel that’s experiencing external compression,” Catterson said, adding that he had "doubts" and had expressed his worries to several OceanGate employees.
The hearing also included an animated video recreating the Titan's final moments. The hearing, which is set to last two weeks, aims to uncover the facts surrounding the tragedy and determine any misconduct or negligence that may have contributed to the implosion.
On June 18, five people -- British explorer Hamish Harding, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate and French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet -- died after the Titan imploded due to intense ocean pressure off the coast of Newfoundland in Canada.
The passengers were on their way to view the wreck of the Titanic, which was once described as "practically unsinkable" but hit an iceberg and sank in 1912, claiming over 1,500 people.
