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OceanGate has requested the help of another company to assist in the search for its Titan submersible that imploded during a trip to depths of the ocean to explore the remains of the Titanic, killing all five passengers inside.
Pelagic Research Services has loaned OceanGate one of its remotely operated vehicles to comb the sea floor and recover the submersible. The Odysseus 6K has made four trips to the bottom of the ocean under the command of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and the U.S. Coast Guard.
The vehicle is searching a debris field about 1,600 feet from the wreckage of the Titanic and has found several pieces of the submersible on the sea floor. The wreckage from the Titanic is resting about 12,500 feet below sea level.
The vehicle is capable of lifting heavy objects, and officials hope it can bring the destroyed submersible to the surface, so investigators can determine what caused the catastrophic implosion.
"This recovery phase is a remarkably difficult and risky operation, especially at this depth," PRS spokesperson Jeff Mahoney said. "Given its continuous operation under the incredible atmospheric pressures, temperatures, and environmental stresses, it's a testament to the skill of the team and the engineering of Odysseus."
OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, Hamish Harding, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood, and his son Suleman Dawood died when the submersible imploded.