Ship Carrying Debris From Titan Submersible Returns to Newfoundland Port

Debris from the Titan submersible, recovered from the ocean floor near the wreck of the Titanic, is unloaded from the ship Horizon Arctic at the Canadian Coast Guard pier in St. John’s on June 28, 2023. (Paul Daly/The Canadian Press)

A ship that had been searching for the ill-fated Titan submersible is back in port in St. John’s, N.L., with debris from the destroyed vehicle.

The Canadian-flagged Horizon Arctic carried a remotely operated vehicle, or ROV, that searched the ocean floor not far from the wreck of the Titanic, about 700 kilometres south of Newfoundland.

The owners of the ROV, U.S.-based Pelagic Research Services, confirms that its team has successfully completed offshore operations.

The company says it is removing its equipment from the Horizon Arctic after “working around the clock for 10 days.”

Photos from the wharf show what appear to be several pieces of the submersible being lifted from the ship, including the nose cone with its distinctive circular window.

The Titan was destroyed in an implosion during its June 18 descent to the Titanic site almost four kilometres below the surface of the sea, resulting in the deaths of all five passengers and crew.

The U.S. Coast Guard declared the men dead Thursday after the ROV spotted the Titan’s wreckage about 500 metres from the bow of the sunken luxury liner.

Pelagic says its team members cannot provide information related to the ongoing investigation led by the U.S. Coast Guard.