HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA: The five men who died in the OceanGate Titan submersible implosion may have been aware of their fate between 48 and 71 seconds before it was destroyed, according to Spanish engineer and underwater expert Jose Luis Martin who compared the scene to a "horror movie."
The expert shared a possible timeline of the final moments of the "catastrophic implosion" on June 18 that took place just 1,600 ft from the bow of the Titanic. According to Martin, he believes the fault that led to the tragedy occurred at a depth of about 5,500 feet.
What was the fault behind the submersible's deadly malfunction?
Talking to the Spanish news outlet NIUS, the expert shared what he thought was the fault behind the deadly malfunction. "During the controlled immersion of the Titan, there must have been an electrical fault which left the craft without thrust," Martin explained.
"Without thrust, the weight of the passengers and the pilot (about 400 kilograms), which was focused on the front end close to the viewport, would have disrupted the Titan’s longitudinal stability," he said and further added, "At this point, the submersible begins to fall headlong towards the seafloor, and with control and safety functions damaged, it can no longer be maneuvered."
Expert says OceanGate CEO couldn't activate the emergency lever
Martin explained OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush who was the pilot "couldn’t activate the emergency lever to drop weights (and return to the surface),” and noted that the lever was an inadequate device in such a situation of emergency.
"The Titan changes position and falls like an arrow vertically because the 400 kilos (880 pounds) of passengers that were at the porthole unbalance the submersible," the expert stated. "Everyone rushes and crowds on top of each other. Imagine the horror, the fear, and the agony. It had to be like a horror movie," he added.
Victims were aware of the seriousness of the situation
The expert said the victims were aware of the seriousness of their helpless situation. "In that period of time, they are realizing everything. And what’s more, in complete darkness. It’s difficult to get an idea of what they experienced in those moments," Martin continued.
"As it fell to the depths of the ocean, the hull would have been subjected to a sudden increase in underwater pressure" which led to a "powerful compression” of the carbon-fiber hull of the submersible, the expert said adding the hull's rapid contraction "would have been out of step with what was happening to the [acrylic] material of the viewport — leading to a micro-fissure and implosion."
"After those 48 seconds or one minute, the implosion and instantaneous sudden death occurs," the expert stated. Among the causes that led to the implosion that killed the five men have been cited as structural issues, reported New York Post.
