The Titan submersible, which catastrophically imploded on way to the Titanic ruins in June, was still carrying debris when it was retrieved on Tuesday, according to the US Coast Guard, including what are likely human remains.
The Titan, a 23,000-pound vehicle about the size of a minivan, lost touch with its mother ship about 1 hour and 45 minutes into its dive for the Titanic, and all five of its occupants perished.
The Coast Guard's Marine Board of Investigation collected the evidence from the North Atlantic Ocean bottom last week, and it was "successfully transferred to a US port for cataloging and analysis," according to a press release from the Coast Guard.
“Additional presumed human remains were carefully recovered from within Titan’s debris and transported for analysis by US medical professionals,” the release says.
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According to the Coast Guard, the salvage attempt continued the submersible's initial rescue efforts.
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The next stages for forensic testing will be determined by a "joint evidence review" of the collected wreckage, which will be scheduled by the Marine Board of Investigation in cooperation with the National Transportation Safety Board and other foreign investigating authorities, according to the report.
In advance of a public hearing on this tragedy, the board will keep reviewing the evidence and speaking with witnesses, it stated.
Following the Titan's failure to surface on June 18, a huge, global search was launched, grabbing the world's attentionn for days. Officials announced on June 22 that the Titan had experienced a "catastrophic implosion."