First Photo of OceanGate Titan Sub Wreckage Released

The U.S. Coast Guard has released the first photo of the doomed OceanGate Titan submersible . The vessel had been on an expedition to tour the wreckage of the Titanic when it imploded shortly after losing contact with its support ship last June.

The photo was released as part of a hearing into the incident that began on Monday; it's expected to a two week inquiry. In the eerie image, the tail cone of the sub can be seen sticking out from the seabed more than 12,000 feet below the surface of the ocean. The underwater "debris field" was first located not far from the wreckage of the Titanic on June 22, 2024, just four days after the craft lost communication with the surface, leading to a frantic search and rescue operation.

According to People , the photographic evidence was taken by a remotely operated vehicle. Officials said in their presentation that the image led to "conclusive evidence of a catastrophic loss" of the Titan submersible and the deaths of its five passengers.

The deceased included OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush , French deep sea explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British adventurer Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his 19-year-old son, Sulaiman Dawood. The family of Nargeolet has since filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against OceanGate, claiming that the 77-year-old, who was known by his nickname "Mr. Titanic," was unaware of the troubled history of the submersible.

In addition to the photo, Monday's inquiry also revealed the final messages between the Titan and its support ship, the Polar Prince.

"I need better comms from you," the Polar Prince sent to the Titan, after messages initially dropped for 15 minutes, following 40 minutes of routine communication after the craft began its descent to the ocean floor. The Titan acknowledged the message, stating that it had "lost system oand [sic] chat settings," however shortly after, the messages from the undersea craft ceased entirely.

Since the tragedy, OceanGate has ceased all exploration and commercial operations .