The Titan submersible imploded on June 18, 2023, leading to the deaths of all five people onboard, with new footage now showing the exact moment the support vessel heard the bang
Smiling faintly, Wendy Rush – the wife of OceanGate’s CEO – turned to the crew on board the Titan’s support vessel, Polar Prince, and asked a simple question: “What was that bang?”
Unbeknownst to her, at that very moment in June 2023, the Titan submersible – carrying her husband, Stockton Rush, and four others – had imploded thousands of feet below, killing everyone on board in an instant.
The haunting exchange has been revealed in new footage obtained by the BBC as part of a documentary into the tragedy, Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster. The clip, filmed aboard the Titan’s support vessel, captures the moment the crew heard the bang, but a delayed message moments later led them to believe that everything was okay onboard the submarine.
READ MORE: OceanGate CEO’s wife’s haunting words moments before Titan submersible tragedy
The Titan had been en route to the Titanic wreck, 12,400ft beneath the North Atlantic Ocean, when contact was lost around two hours into its descent.
Onboard were British businessman Hamish Harding, 58, veteran French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, Pakistani tycoon Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his 19-year-old son Suleman – along with Stockton himself, the man behind OceanGate’s controversial deep-sea expeditions.
In the video, Wendy Rush, unaware of the horrific reality unfolding below, simply asks, “What was that bang?” with a smile as the rest of the crew look around the room. It sounded like a door closing, but analysis now shows the mysterious bang heard moments earlier was likely the sub imploding.
In addition, reports revealed that the crew lost contact after an exchange of repeated inquiries from the Polar Prince about the submersible’s depth and weight as it descended. The Polar Prince then sent repeated messages asking if the Titan could still see the ship on its onboard display.
One of Titan’s final responses, which became spotty as it descended, was “all good here.”
Audio released by the US Coast Guard last year offered further chilling confirmation. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration device – stationed 900 miles from the Titan’s last known location – picked up a sound described as the “suspected acoustic signature” of an implosion on June 18, 2023.
This audio clip, coupled with the new footage and testimonies, is the latest development in a global investigation probing whether the disaster could have been prevented – and whether vital safety warnings were ignored.
The Titan sub offered people a chance to glimpse the Titanic’s legendary resting place since 2021. But beneath its futuristic promise lay growing concerns over the vessel’s unconventional design and safety features.
Chief among them was the use of a carbon fibre hull – a choice that defied traditional submersible engineering standards. The vessel was even piloted using a video game controller, available online for just £42.
In public hearings held in September 2023, deep-sea experts and former colleagues painted a troubling picture of OceanGate’s operations. Submersible designer Karl Stanley heard ominous cracking noises during a 2019 expedition using Titan.
He said: “He [Stockton] told us to be prepared for noises. He had recently done the solo dive on his own, and basically just said, ‘this is going to make noise’ and ‘brace yourselves.'”
Reflecting on the past dives, Stanley expressed grave concerns, noting there were “a lot of red flags.”
In the days following the disappearance, an international search and rescue mission captured global attention. A faint banging noise detected by sonar had sparked hope, with families clinging to the possibility the crew was still alive.
But that hope soon faded. The wreckage was found just 330 yards from the Titanic’s bow, confirming that the Titan had imploded and there were no survivors.
The Coast Guard’s ongoing inquiry has revealed multiple warning signs – including equipment issues, lack of third-party inspections, and former staff raising the alarm long before the fatal voyage.
OceanGate has since suspended operations.
READ MORE: Chilling findings from Titan sub disaster – harrowing words before implosion, ‘malfunction’ and crew’s final message