One year after the Titan submarine disaster, investigations into the implosion in which five people died are ongoing

The submersible Titan started its journey to the wreck of the Titanic on June 18, 2023

While families and friends are still grieving a year after the death of their loved ones, titanium Sub-Implosion, the investigation into the tragedy is still ongoing.

On the morning of Sunday, June 18, 2023, the 22-foot submersible plunged into the depths of the North Atlantic.

British businessman Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman Dawood, French diver and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet and CEO and co-founder of OceanGate Richard Stockton Rush were on board and lost their lives.

For a reported $250,000 per ticket, the goal of their cramped trip was to visit the RMS site Titanic Wreck that sank in 1912 after colliding with an iceberg. The submersible had only completed two expeditions before.

Later that evening, the submersible was reported missing by the support vessel. Polar Princeand a search and rescue mission was launched. The craft, which disappeared about 900 miles east of Cape Cod, was estimated to have 96 hours of oxygen left. While people on land were counting the hours and crossing their fingers for a happy ending, disaster had already struck.

Days later, debris was found 580 meters off the Titanic. On June 22, four days after the first landing, parts of the missing submarine were found that were “consistent with a catastrophic implosion.” The U.S. Coast Guard said the passengers on board the ship had no chance of surviving the implosion.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding and Paul-Henri Nargeolet have sadly passed away,” OceanGate said in a statement seen by PEOPLE at the time.

“These men were true explorers who shared a strong spirit of adventure and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans. At this tragic time, our thoughts are with these five souls and each member of their families. We mourn the loss of life and the joy they brought to all who knew them,” the statement continued.

Related topics: Take a look behind the scenes of OceanGate’s submersible “Titan”: photos and details

A year later, many questions remain unanswered. What does the future hold for OceanGate? Will others try their luck and build a new submarine? And when will the investigation into the events finally be completed?

OceanGate is still closed

OceanGate ceased operations shortly after the tragedy in July 2023.

As of June 18, 2024, OceanGate has “ceased all exploration and commercial activities,” according to its website. Business Insider It was previously reported that the company also closed its social media pages.

Related topics: New documentary on the submarine “Titan” shows audio recording of rhythmic knocking that was heard during the search

An investigation is still ongoing

In an update on Friday, June 14, the Coast Guard said it is still actively “investigating the factors that contributed to the tragic loss of the titanium Submersible on June 18, 2023.”

The Coast Guard announced that the investigation will take longer than originally planned (12 months). Two reasons for the delays are the oversight of two different salvage missions and “extensive forensic testing.”

A public hearing to discuss the results will not take place for at least two months, the Associated Press reported.

“The investigation into the implosion of the Titan submersible is a complex and ongoing matter,” said MBI Chairman Jason Neubauer. “We are working closely with our national and international partners to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the incident.”

“We are grateful for the international and interagency cooperation that was critical to the recovery, preservation and forensic examination of evidence from a remote offshore region and extreme depth,” added Neubauer. “The MBI is committed to ensuring we fully understand the factors that led to this tragedy in order to prevent similar incidents in the future.”

The U.S. Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation expressed its deepest condolences to the families and friends of the five individuals who lost their lives in the incident.

Transcripts of passengers’ last words turn out to be false

What were probably the last words of the passengers on board the titanium were fake, as the results of a federal investigation showed, according to The New York Times.

There was no evidence that the five passengers knew the vehicle was going to implode. The transcript that went viral allegedly contained a detailed timeline of events and conversations. However, investigators were able to find out the truth after they obtained recordings of actual communications between the submersible and the Polar Prince.

“Someone did it well enough to make it seem plausible,” Neubauer told the newspaper.

Related topics: Will OceanGate face criminal prosecution after the ‘catastrophic’ implosion of the Titan submarine? Legal expert speaks out

There is still interest in researching the Titanic

Even after the incidents on board the titaniumSome people are still so fascinated that they want to try diving themselves.

Patrick Lahey, co-founder and CEO of Titan Submarines, announced in May that one of his clients had asked him to build a submersible that would Titanic Debris.

“He called me and said, ‘You know, we need to build a submarine that can dive to (Titanic-level depths) repeatedly and confidently and show the world that you can do it and that titanium was a machine,'” Lahey said of Ohio real estate investor Larry Connor, according to The Wall Street Journal.

What will happen to the wreck?

The TitanicThe wreck was discovered in 1985, more than 70 years after the giant ship sank.

What is left of the ship, which lies three kilometers below sea level, will disintegrate within the next 30 years, per Business InsiderBacteria, along with deep-sea currents and salt corrosion, are slowly destroying the ship.

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive more People news!

Read the original article on People.