A new documentary about the Titan sub disaster has shared never heard before audio which provided a devastating glimmer of hope for the families of those on board.
It has already been eight months since the Titan submersible disaster took place on 22 June 2023.
OceanGate confirmed that the five men on board the missing Titan submersible had died on their way to see the wreck of the Titanic.
Onboard the vessel was OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, 61, British billionaire Hamish Harding, 58, Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, British-Pakistani billionaire Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his 19-year-old son Suleman.
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The submersible - which had already garnered concern in the past over the way in which it was constructed - suffered a 'catastrophic implosion', resulting in the loss of all five lives onboard.
However, this wasn't immediately clear and the only hope for the families of those on board was a noise picked up by the US Navy.
The audio file picked up a 'banging' noise and some believed it to be the last we heard from the five on board.
These banging noises were also picked up by the Canadian Air Force and appeared to be coming every 30 minutes, leading some to wonder if the sub's occupants were still inside and attempting to signal for help.
Two-part documentary The Titan Sub Disaster: Minute by Minute aired on Channel 5 last night (March 6), showing the audio footage for the first time.
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However, experts stressed that they didn't know what the banging noises were in the end.
Part-two of the documentary will air this evening on Channel 5.
A statement by ITN said: “It will create a detailed picture of events surrounding the submersible’s expedition to the wreck of the Titanic, assess the scale of the mission and ask what lessons have been learned from the tragedy.”
Dan Walker, a news reader who announced the conclusion of the tragedy, said: “I remember being told in my ear that they're going to announce that there's been a catastrophic event and sadly they've all died.
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“It's the end that you feared would happen, that you sort of knew would happen.
“But there is nothing that prepares you for that actual moment when you say those five people on board, they are sadly no longer with us.”
A timeline of the Titan submersible disaster:
The Titan loses contact with support vessel
The Polar Prince loses contact with the Titan around one hour and 45 minutes into its descent on 18 June. A few hours after the submersible was supposed to resurface, the US Coast Guard received a report of an overdue submersible.
Search operation is launched
The US Coast Guard launch a large-scale operation on 19 June, 2023, when the vessel fails to resurface or make contact almost 24 hours on.
'Banging noises' are detected
Two days on from the Titan's disappearance on 21 June, 2023, sonar crews taking part in the search pick up 'banging noises', giving false hope that the passengers are still alive.
The Titan's oxygen supply 'runs out'
At 1pm E.T on 22 June, 2023, the submersible's 96-hour oxygen supply is predicted to have ran out, cementing fears for the crew onboard.
A 'debris field' is discovered, leading to the realisation of a 'catastrophic implosion'
The US Coast Guard confirms the Titan was destroyed by a ‘catastrophic implosion’ - a result of both enormous water pressure and failed materials - with the loss of all five people aboard.
Featured Image Credit: OceanGate/Becky Kagan Schott/Channel 5Topics: Channel 5, Titanic, World News, Titan Submersible