FACT CHECK: No, The Passengers On The Titan Submersible Were Not Found Alive After 55 Hours
A post shared on TikTok purports the passengers on the Titan submarine were found alive after 55 hours.
Screenshot captured via TikTok
Verdict: False
Rear Adm. John Mauger said the Titan’s tail cone was recovered 16,000 feet from the bow of the Titanic, leading the U.S. Coast Guard to presume the passengers were dead during a Jun. 22 press conference, a video from NBC News shows.
Fact Check:
Experts reportedly raised concerns in 2018 about the Titan submarine that recently went missing, according to Reuters. David Lochridge, a former employee at OceanGate, said he believed passengers could be subjected to “potential extreme danger” in the “experimental submersible,” CBS News reported.
“BREAKING NEWS MISSING SUBMARINE FOUND AFTER 55 HOURS,” the TikTok post, liked 29,000 times, purports. The post further claims the five passengers aboard the Titan submarine were found alive in an undisclosed location, with one being in critical condition.
The claim is false. Mauger said the Titan’s tail cone was recovered 16,000 feet from the bow of the Titanic, leading the U.S. Coast Guard to presume the passengers were dead during a Jun. 22 press conference, a video from NBC News shows. Mauger also indicated additional debris that is consistent with the Titan submarine’s pressure chamber had been found, according to the same video.
Likewise, there are no credible news reports stating the passengers aboard the Titan submarine had been found alive after 55 hours. In fact, all of the news reports reveal exactly the opposite and reiterate that the passengers are presumed dead. (RELATED: No, ‘San Franception’ Is Not A Real Road In San Francisco, California)
In addition, OceanGate released a statement via its Twitter account confirming the passengers had not survived.
“We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost.”
“These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans. Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew,” the statement read in part.
— OceanGate Expeditions (@OceanGateExped) June 22, 2023
Check Your Fact has contacted the U.S. Coast Guard for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.
