This disappearance triggered a five-day search that ultimately confirmed the deaths of all five passengers aboard due to an implosion.

Among the victims were Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate; British explorer Hamish Harding; veteran French diver Paul Henri Nargeolet; businessman Shahzada Dawood; and his 19-year-old son, Suleman.

The implosion has intensified calls for independent safety checks for experimental submersibles, which OceanGate had previously declined to undergo.

The Titan, an experimental submersible operated by OceanGate, vanished on June 18, 2023, while on its way to explore the Titanic wreck in the North Atlantic Ocean.

A recently released video shows Wendy Rush and OceanGate employee Gary Foss monitoring the submersible's descent when they heard a faint sound, which they suspect was the implosion.

Concerns about safety protocols have arisen due to the Titan's unconventional design and OceanGate's refusal to allow independent safety checks, resulting in the suspension of its operations in July 2023.

The incident has sparked global discussions about the safety of private deep-sea travel and has led to an ongoing investigation by the Coast Guard.