New images of the wreckage of the doomed Titan sub have been revealed during the ongoing hearing, following claims from a friend of Stockton Rush that the OceanGate CEO 'knew it would end like this'.
The submersible imploded due to the immense pressure of the water while on a once-in-a-lifetime expedition to view the Titanic, back on June 18, 2023.
They show the tragic remains of the vessel scattered 12,400ft under the North Atlantic Ocean, which is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon.
Earlier this month, a hearing was launched to investigate why the fatal implosion took place, and whether anyone was to blame for the incident.
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Alongside Rush, there were four other passengers on board the submersible - the youngest of which was 19-year-old Suleman Dawood, and he was joined by his dad Shahzada, a 48-year-old British-Pakistani businessman.
British businessman Hamish Harding, aged 58, and 77-year-old former French navy diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, completed the lineup.
The pictures were released as part of the US Coast Guard's investigation and depict the shell of the submersible on the sea bed, while a second depicts the vulnerabilities of the Titan sub through a close-up shot.
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The submersible's implosion, roughly an hour and 45 minutes into a two-and-a-half-hour descent, shocked the world.
But it did not surprise Karl Stanley, a close friend of Rush, as he previously told 60 Minutes Australia during an interview that the OceanGate CEO 'definitely knew it was going to end like this' - in disaster.
Now, giving testimony at the hearing he recalled the moment he was onboard the vessel alongside Rush back in 2019.
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Stanley explained: "He told us to be prepared for noises.
"He had recently done the solo dive on his own, and basically just said, 'this is going to make noise' and 'brace yourselves'."
At which point large cracking noises could be heard.
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While speaking to the Australian outlet he said that Rush had designed a 'mouse trap for billionaires' in the form of the Titan sub.
While speaking to the Aussie TV station, Stanley claimed the tragedy was inevitable.
He added: “The only question is, ‘When?’ He was risking his life and his customers’ lives to go down in history. He’s more famous now than anything else he would’ve done.
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"He definitely knew it was going to end like this. He quite literally and figuratively went out with the biggest bang in human history that you could go out with, and who was the last person to murder two billionaires at once, and have them pay for the privilege?”
Both Harding and Nargeolet, who both tragically died in the implosion, were suspected billionaires.
A timeline of the Titan sub disaster
OceanGate's Titan submersible begins its descent
On 18 June, 2023, OceanGate Expedition's 21-foot submersible, named Titan, submerged at 8am E.T and began its tour to the wreckage of the Titanic off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
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Five people were onboard the vessel with a 96-hour oxygen supply.
Who was onboard the Titan?
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 Titan loses contact with support vessel
The Polar Prince loses contact with the Titan around one hour and 45 minutes into its descent.
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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.
Topics: Titanic, Titan submersible, Court, World News
Joe Yates