A rescue crew leader tears up while describing the moment his team found debris from the Titan submersible.
It’s been almost two weeks since the OceanGate sub went missing on June 18, as it went to explore the wreck of the Titanic.
At the time, the sub had been carrying five passengers when it lost contact with its mothership and disappeared.
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Edward Cassano was among those searching for the Titan, with the expert called in by OceanGate to help locate the then-missing vessel.
Almost immediately, the Chief Exec of Pelagic Research Services began to assemble a team capable of deploying deep-water remote vehicle systems – such as the Odysseus 6K.
He said: "We were always conscious of the crew of the Titan.
"Plain and simple, we were focused on rescue.”
However, when Pelagic Research's Odysseus arrived at Titanic's wreck after 90-minutes after launching, the mission soon changed when they discovered debris next to the wreck.
"Shortly after arriving on the seafloor, we discovered the debris of the Titan submersible...by 12 o'clock, a rescue turned into a recovery," he said.
He tearfully told press: "I have to apologise we are still demobilising. It's a lot of emotions, people are tired."
Cassano also asked everyone to recognise the 'seriousness of the event' and to 'respect the range of emotions' of everyone that was involved.
The five passengers believed to be killed in the tragedy were later confirmed to be French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British billionaire Hamish Harding, OceanGate's CEO, Stockton Rush, as well as Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son, Suleman.
In a statement, OceanGate said: "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.
“This is an extremely sad time for our dedicated employees who are exhausted and grieving deeply over this loss."
According to the US Coast, the sub suffered from a 'catastrophic failure' which was 'consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel'.
The US Coast Guard also recently revealed they have found what they presume to be human remains after pieces of the sub were recovered from the sea floor.
A full investigation has been ordered, with representatives from the USA, Canada, France, and the UK involved.
Katherine Sidnell