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PORTLAND, Maine -- Human remains have likely been recovered from the wreckage of the submersible that imploded on a voyage to view the wreckage of the Titanic, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
The announcement came hours after the announcement that debris from the Titan, collected from the seafloor more than 12,000 feet below the surface of the North Atlantic, had arrived in St. John's, Newfoundland. Twisted chunks of the submersible were unloaded at a Canadian Coast Guard pier.
Recovering and scrutinizing the wreckage is a key part of the investigation into why the Titan imploded last week, killing all five people on board. The multiday search and eventual recovery of debris from the 22-foot vessel captured the world's attention.
"There is still a substantial amount of work to be done to understand the factors that led to the catastrophic loss of the Titan and help ensure a similar tragedy does not occur again," Coast Guard Chief Capt. Jason Neubauer said in a statement released late Wednesday afternoon.
The "presumed remains" will be brought to the United States, where medical professionals will conduct a formal analysis, and the Coast Guard has convened an investigation of the implosion at the highest level, Neubauer said, noting that the Marine Board of Investigation will analyze and test evidence, including pieces of debris, at a port in the U.S.
He said the evidence will provide "critical insights" into the cause of the implosion.
Debris from the Titan, which is believed to have imploded on June 18 as it made its descent, was located about 12,500 feet underwater and roughly 1,600 feet from the Titanic on the ocean floor. The Coast Guard is leading the investigation, in conjunction with several other government agencies in the U.S. and Canada.