Can the bodies be recovered from Titan submarine?

Tragedy struck during what was intended to be a 10-hour expedition to explore the Titanic shipwreck, resulting in the loss of all five passengers aboard a submersible.

The devastating implosion of the vessel was confirmed on Thursday, concluding a week-long international search for survivors. The US Navy detected a distinctive sound consistent with an implosion on the day the submersible went missing.

Fragments of the Titan submersible have since been discovered by search teams, providing grim confirmation of the passengers' fate.

Titan submarine owner showed the inside before the tragedy

Why does an underwater implosion happen?

An implosion underwater occurs when a vessel collapses inward under the tremendous pressure at extreme depths. While the exact location and depth of the implosion remain uncertain, the Titanic wreck lies approximately 4,000 meters below the surface. The submersible lost contact approximately one hour and 45 minutes into its descent, which was expected to last around two hours.

At the depth of the Titanic's resting place, the pressure amounts to roughly 5,600 pounds per square inch, several hundred times greater than surface-level pressure. According to Rick Murcar, the international training director at the National Association of Cave Divers, a catastrophic implosion unfolds with astonishing speed, occurring within a fraction of a millisecond.

"The entire thing would have collapsed before the individuals inside would even realize that there was a problem," Murcar told CNN. "Ultimately, among the many ways in which we can pass, that's painless."

Video shows how an implosion looks like

Could the bodies be recovered?

Recovering any bodies from such depths is considered highly unlikely, according to experts. The US Coast Guard has announced its determination to continue the search, aiming to retrieve any possible remnants. However, they have cautioned about the unforgiving nature of the deep-sea environment on the ocean floor.