The final moments of communication between the crew of the Titan submersible and their support vessel, Polar Prince, have come to light as part of an ongoing investigation into the tragedy. This revelation emerged during a set of hearings held by the U.S. Coast Guard on September 16, 2024. These hearings aim to uncover the details surrounding the June 2023 implosion of the Titan submersible, an incident that claimed the lives of all five crew members on board. The crew had been on an expedition to explore the Titanic wreck site.

The communication between the Titan submersible and the Polar Prince was brief yet haunting. On the morning of June 18, 2023, while the submersible was descending, the Polar Prince repeatedly attempted to contact the crew, asking whether the sub could see the support vessel on its display. Over the course of seven minutes, the same question was asked seven times, but the Titan’s responses were sporadic. At 10:14 a.m., the crew responded with a short message, “k,” followed by another response, “Yes,” indicating they could see the support ship. Moments later, they added, “All good here.” This brief exchange marked the last communication from the Titan before contact was lost.

At 10:47 a.m., communication ceased, and not long after, the submersible imploded, resulting in the deaths of all on board. The crew members included Stockton Rush, Paul Henri Nargeolet, Hamish Harding, and Shahzada Dawood, along with his 19-year-old son, Suleman. These tragic details were accompanied by an animated re-enactment during the hearing, which is part of a broader effort by the Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) to determine what went wrong and how such a disaster could be prevented in the future.

In a press conference held the day before the hearings, Jason Neubauer, chair of the MBI, expressed his condolences to the families of the victims. He emphasized the board’s commitment to conducting a thorough investigation, which has been ongoing for 15 months. Neubauer assured that the goal was to identify gaps in safety and recommend measures to avoid similar incidents. He also addressed the scope of the inquiry, stating that both technical and procedural failures would be examined to ensure such tragedies are not repeated.

As part of the investigation, the U.S. Coast Guard launched an extensive search for the missing submersible immediately after it disappeared. The search took place 900 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, with the help of Canadian authorities, who provided aircraft and sonar buoys. The remote location and extreme ocean depths of 13,000 feet made the search challenging. Rear Admiral John Mauger led the search efforts and provided public updates, stressing the urgency of the mission due to the submersible’s limited emergency air supply of 96 hours.

Despite these efforts, the search and rescue mission was officially concluded on June 25, 2023. The focus then shifted to a formal investigation led by the MBI, with international partners assisting in the recovery of evidence from the seafloor. Debris and potential human remains were gathered for forensic analysis, while data from the Polar Prince was also collected. In late June 2023, the first pieces of evidence were transported from the wreck site to St. John’s, Newfoundland, before being sent to a U.S. port for further examination.

Throughout the hearings, which are expected to continue for two weeks, findings from the past year of investigation will be presented. These legal proceedings are available for public viewing through the U.S. Coast Guard’s YouTube channel and other news platforms. The investigation’s final report is anticipated following an analysis by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Coast Guard.