Debris from missing submarine found near Titanic wreckage, 5 on board dead

BOSTON - It was the outcome feared and now confirmed that the five passengers aboard the submersible Titan have perished. "I offer my deepest condolences to the families," said Rear Admiral John Mauger at a press briefing outside the U.S. Coast Guard station in Boston. 

Thursday morning an underwater robot from then Canadian vessel Horizon Arctic located two debris fields 1600 feet off the bow of the Titanic wreckage. Five major pieces consistent with the Titan were found including the front end of the pressure hull in one field and the other end in the second field. There was no indication there was any collision with the Titanic itself. 

"It's not in an area where there is debris from the Titanic, it is a smooth bottom," said Carl Hartsfield with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. 

Contact was lost with the submersible Sunday one hour and 45 minutes after it descended toward the Titanic on a tourist voyage. 

A Navy official says "an acoustic anomaly consistent with an implosion" was detected shortly after the Titan lost contact with the surface. This official said the information was relayed to the Coast Guard team which used it to narrow the radius of the search area.

The underwater banging noises detected Tuesday and Wednesday now appear to have no connection. Rescue teams will remain on scene with the underwater robots mapping the debris field, but no there's indication if or when remains will be brought to the surface.

"We're going to continue to investigate the site of the debris field and then there will be a lot of questions about how, why and when did this happen," said Mauger.