Portland: The US Coast Guard has released audio from the moment the experimental submarine named Titan imploded after going missing en route to Titanic’s wreck in the North Atlantic Ocean.
A passive acoustic recorder from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), located approximately 900 miles (1,448 kilometers) from the site of the implosion, detected the sound, according to a statement from U.S. Coast Guard officials. The recording was made public on February 7.
What audio from OceaGate submersible reveals about the implosion
The brief, staticky audio clip features a loud noise resembling an underwater thunderclap, followed by silence for the remainder of the recording.
The #TitanMBI releases the suspected acoustic signature of the Titan submersible implosion. Audio recording courtesy of NOAA/NPS Ocean Noise Reference Station Network) https://t.co/h3ySH0PhiA pic.twitter.com/dXC7C1hy4y
— USCG MaritimeCommons (@maritimecommons) February 8, 2025
The Coast Guard confirmed in a statement that the audio captured the “suspected acoustic signature of the Titan submersible implosion” on June 18, 2023, the day the submersible disappeared.
The implosion killed all five individuals aboard and sparked a Coast Guard investigation, as well as an international debate about the future of private deep-sea exploration. The Titan went missing while en route to the Titanic wreck site in the North Atlantic Ocean, prompting a five-day search, which concluded with authorities confirming the vessel’s destruction and the loss of all lives.
The incident raised concerns due to the Titan’s unconventional design and the refusal of its creator to subject it to independent safety inspections. In response, OceanGate, the Washington state-based company behind the submersible, suspended operations in July 2023.
Who all were killed in the Titan implosion
Titan operator Stockton Rush, who co-founded OceanGate, was among those who died in the implosion. The implosion also killed two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood; British adventurer Hamish Harding; and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
A Coast Guard panel performing a lengthy investigation into the submersible disaster heard two weeks of testimony last September. The testimony included dramatic moments, such as when a former OceanGate scientific director said the Titan malfunctioned during a dive just a few days before its implosion.
The Coast Guard is expected to release more information about the implosion in the future. A spokesperson for the agency said Wednesday the investigation is still ongoing and a final report will be released after it is completed.
