U.S. Coast Guard launches investigation into fatal Titan implosion

June 26 (UPI) -- The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating last week's implosion of the Titan submersible as it was en route to the Titanic wreckage, killing all five people on board.

Capt. Jason Neubauer told reporters during a press conference Sunday that a Marine Board Investigation, the Coast Guard's highest level of investigation, was convened on Friday after the Coast Guard learned the submersible had suffered a catastrophic failure.

A press release from the Coast Guard states the MBI will, upon the completion of its work, produce a report listing conclusions and recommendations, including the cause of the implosion and whether any civil or criminal penalties are appropriate.

Neubauer said the investigation is in its initial evidence-collecting phase, with priority being salvage operations in the Atlantic, which will be followed by a formal hearing to gather additional evidence.

The report, he said, will be provided to the Coast Guard commandant as well as with domestic and international maritime authorities and the International Maritime Organization to improve the safety framework for submersible operation.

"My primary goal is to prevent a similar occurrence by making the necessary recommendations to enhance the safety of the maritime domain worldwide," he said.

The 21-foot Titan submersible, with five people on board, lost contact with the crew of the Polar Prince research vessel about 1 hour, 45 minutes into its dive to the Titanic wreckage on June 18.

What followed was a mad dash of a rescue operation that grabbed headlines worldwide as responders scoured the North Atlantic Ocean near where the Titanic passenger liner went down in 1912 for signs of the missing vessel before its oxygen ran out.

However, the U.S. Navy captured sound of the submersible imploding shortly after it lost contact, and the U.S. Coast Guard announced Thursday that all on board were presumed dead.

Those aboard the vessel have been identified as Hamish Harding, 58, a British aviator who has set world records; British businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his 19-year-old son, Suleman; Stockton Rush, 61, CEO of OceanGate, which runs the Titanic voyages; and Paul-Henry Nargeolet, 77, a former French Navy diver who is the director of underwater research for the company that owns the salvage rights to the Titanic.

The Coast Guard said the Titan's wreckage has been located about 500 meters, or 1,640 feet, from the bow of the Titanic.

Rear Adm. John Mauger of the Coast Guard said the purpose of the press conference was to announce the closure of the search-and-rescue phase and the start of the investigation.

On Thursday, the Coast Guard announced that pieces of the vessel had been found. In a statement, it said a debris field was located about 1,600 feet off the bow of the Titanic and an remote-operated vehicle had discovered the tail section of the the submersible.

Neubauer, who is leading the MBI, said he is unable to offer a timeline for when the report on his team's findings will be completed.