The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) said it would investigate “all aspects” that led to the implosion of the submersible that claimed the lives of its five people, near the wreck of the Titanic, off Newfoundland.
TSB officials told reporters that investigators had begun interviewing the crew and some family members aboard the Polar Princeflying the Canadian flag, shortly after mooring near the Canadian Coast Guard building in St. John’s on Saturday.
The vessel, belonging to the Miawpukek First Nation in southern Newfoundland, had towed the submersible Titan condemned to above the site of the Titanic, about 700 kilometers south of the provincial capital, and had helped launch it on Sunday.
Cliff Harvey, the TSB’s director of navy investigations, said his agency will conduct a full review of what happened.
“We look at all aspects, including vessels that have been used, registration, construction, ownership,” Harvey said.
TSB President Kathy Fox said the main purpose of the “Canadian investigation” is to examine safety issues and what could be done to prevent a similar incident in the future. She added that the inquest will not determine whether there is evidence of criminal or civil wrongdoing.
However, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced on Saturday that it would launch a preliminary investigation to determine if a criminal investigation is necessary.
Sergeant Kent Osmond said the police force generally looks into sudden or unexpected deaths at sea, including those in international waters. He acknowledged that the case Titan was unique, noting that she was unlike anything he had seen in his police career spanning more than three decades.
He was reluctant to give an estimate of when the initial investigation might end, adding that it will likely be complex.
“All of the agencies that will be involved have different mandates and different investigative objectives,” Osmond said. We will work with them and there are likely times when our investigations will cross paths. »
Kathy Fox said that in addition to conducting interrogations, a TSB team was also gathering information from the voyage data recorder of the Polar Prince and other systems containing “useful information”.
“At this stage, we are unable to provide specific details about the event or the investigation that are not already in the public domain,” Ms.me Fox.
She said TSB investigations can typically take 18 months to two years.
“We obviously try to do them faster, because we know that everyone wants answers, especially families and the public,” said Ms.me Fox, who added that the international maritime code provides for collaboration with other investigative agencies.
THE Titan lost contact with the Polar Price, an hour and 45 minutes after beginning its descent towards the wreck of the Titanic which lies nearly four kilometers below the surface of the ocean.
All five passengers and crew are presumed dead after debris from the submersible was found on the ocean floor on Thursday about 500 meters from the bow of the famous liner that sank at the turn of the last century.
The global investigation could possibly involve several countries. The owner of TitanOceanGate Expeditions, is based in the United States, the submersible was registered in the Bahamas, and those killed were from England, Pakistan, France and the United States.
Stockton Rush, the company’s chief executive, piloted the submersible, which carried British billionaire Hamish Harding, French explorer and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet, and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood as passengers. and his 19-year-old son, Suleman.
The US Coast Guard in Boston said on Saturday it was still directing resources to the search scene, while remotely operated vehicles continued to map the debris field.
“A timeline for future debris recovery and demobilization of assets has not been established,” Lt. Anne McGoldrick said in an email.