Doomed Titanic submarine passengers 'fell on top of each other' in final moments
The Titanic submersible would have popped like a “balloon” after plunging like a vertical “arrow,” an expert has said.
Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood and his teenage son Suleman, plus French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate, were killed.
An investigation into the incident continues, but submarine expert José Luis Martín said the five victims probably lost balance in those final moments and could have fallen on top of each other.
Martín claimed the Titan submersible fell “like an arrow vertically” and had “no control” for at least 2,953ft (900m).
He said the implosion was like “puncturing a balloon.”
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Based on the Spanish engineer’s calculations, the passengers would have been aware of their fate for between 48 and 71 seconds.
Fiver people were killed on Titan (PA)He told the newspaper Nius: “The submersible was descending without any incident and in a horizontal plane until it reached an altitude of about 5,577ft (1,700m).
“At that point, there was an electrical failure. It was left without an engine and without propulsion. That’s when it lost communication with the Polar Prince.”
The implosion was like 'puncturing a balloon,' Martin said (Jam Press)The voyage data recorder from the Polar Prince has been sent to a lab for analysis.
Questions about why staff on the vessel waited several hours after the vessel lost communications to contact rescue officials remain.
Martín continued: “The Titan changed position and fell like an arrow vertically, because the 400 kilos of passengers that were in the porthole compromised the submarine.
The Titan sub (AP)“They all rushed and crowded on top of each other. Imagine the horror, the fear and the agony.”
Martín added: “It must have been like a horror movie.”
The former chief engineer continued: “As they fell into the depths of the ocean, the resistant hull was subjected to a sudden increase in pressure.
“And then there was a strong compression of the container where the tourists and pilot were. In that period of time, they are realising everything. And in total darkness.
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Titan sub victims (L-R): Suleman and Shahzada Dawood, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Hamish Harding, and OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush (COURTESY OF THE DAWOOD FOUNDATION AND FAMILY)“It’s difficult to get an idea of what they experienced in those moments. After those 48 seconds, or one minute, the implosion occurred followed by instantaneous death.”
The tragedy happened while attempting to view the wreckage of the Titanic on the morning of 18 June.
The submersible lost contact with the mothership about 105 minutes into its dive and the US Coast Guard confirmed the victims’ deaths four days later.
An investigation into the implosion is ongoing.
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