US Coast Guard hasn't ruled out finding remains as it probes Titanic sub ... trends now
The US Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the undersea implosion of the Titan submersible and has not ruled out finding human remains - while also hinting that the probe could lead to criminal charges.
The announcement comes a day after Canada's Transportation Safety Board said it was conducting its own investigation into the implosion - which has raised questions about the unregulated nature of tourist expeditions.
'My primary goal is to prevent a similar occurrence by making the necessary recommendations to enhance the safety of the maritime domain worldwide,' said Captain Jason Neubauer, the Coast Guard's chief investigator.
The Coast Guard opened what it calls a marine board investigation on Friday, Neubauer said, and is working with the FBI to recover evidence.
This includes a salvage operation at the debris site on the seabed about 1,600 feet (488 meters) from the bow of the Titanic wreck, about 2-1/2 miles (4 km) below the surface.
The findings will be shared with the International Maritime Organization and other groups 'to help improve the safety framework for submersible operations worldwide,' Neubauer said.
Captain Jason Neubauer (pictured) said the Coast Guard opened what it calls a 'marine board investigation' on Friday and is working with the FBI to recover evidence
Oceangate CEO Stockton Rush led the expedition last Sunday, which is known to have resulted in the deaths of all five men on board
Commander Paul-Henry Nargeolet, an expert on the Titanic, also lost his life in the Titan tragedy
Shahzada Dawood, 48, (right) one of Pakistan's richest men, who along with his teenage son Sulaiman Dawood, 19, (left) died on the Titan
Hamish Harding's cousin Kathleen Cosnett wrote: 'It's quite poignant that tomorrow would have been his birthday. His father died in June and my father died in June too'
He said the Coast Guard is in touch with the families of the five people killed, and that investigators are 'taking all precautions on site if we are to encounter any human remains.'
Earlier today, the sons of British billionaire Hamish Harding have paid tribute to the 'best father' who they say 'constantly sought to be the best man he could be'.
Rear Admiral John Mauger, of the First Coast Guard District, confirmed that the Coast Guard has launched a Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) into 'the loss of the submersible and the five people on board'
He added: 'The MBI is also responsible for accountability aspects of the incident and it can make recommendations to the proper authorities to pursue civil or criminal sanctions as necessary.'
Mr Harding, 58, was among the five adventurers on board the OceanGate Expeditions submersible that lost contact with its mothership as it reached the site of the Titanic wreckage early Sunday morning.
The US Coast Guard said Thursday that all five people aboard the submersible had died after the vessel suffered a 'catastrophic implosion.'
One of Mr Harding's sons, who was not named on the statement issued through Action Aviation, has hailed the billionaire for being a 'tenacious, hard working
