Missing Titan submersible: Expedition company OceanGate's statement in full

US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger said debris found in the search for missing submersible Titan is "consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber"

The pilot and four passengers of the missing Titan submersible are believed to be dead.

Rescue teams have been searching for the vessel since last Sunday, when it lost contact with its mothership around one hour and 45 minutes into its deep sea descent.

On Thursday, a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) made the discovery of debris near the wreckage of the Titanic, that is believed to be from the missing sub.

OceanGate Expeditions, the tour company behind the Titan sub, said its pilot and chief executive Stockton Rush – along with UK citizens Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood and French national Paul-Henri Nargeolet “have sadly been lost.”

Here is the statement from OceanGate on the loss of the Titan in full:

“We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost.

“These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans.

“Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew.

“This is an extremely sad time for our dedicated employees who are exhausted and grieving deeply over this loss.

“The entire OceanGate family is deeply grateful for the countless men and women from multiple organisations of the international community who expedited wide-ranging resources and have worked so very hard on this mission.

“We appreciate their commitment to finding these five explorers, and their days and nights of tireless work in support of our crew and their families.

“This is a very sad time for the entire explorer community, and for each of the family members of those lost at sea. We respectfully ask that the privacy of these families be respected during this most painful time.”

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