Underwater archaeologist Dr E Lee Spence thinks the implosion happened in ‘microseconds’ (Pictures: Dr E Lee Spence/Reuters/AP)
The first photos of the Titan pieces being pulled to shore show it would have imploded ‘in less than a second’, an expert has said.
Underwater archaeologist Dr E Lee Spence believes the implosion which killed the five submersible passengers trying to visit the Titanic wreck happened in ‘microseconds, a fraction of a second’.
He told Metro.co.uk: ‘They probably had some sort of warning – the shape of the vessel would start distorting, there would have been a crack or a leak.
‘But as soon as there was an actual split, the water would have come in at such a pressure that, once it reached the critical point, it would have happened almost instantly.’
Dr Spence, a 76-year-old shipwreck historian and treasure hunter who has been exploring the ocean since the age of 12, thinks this is because of how large the recovered parts of the Titan are.
While he was initially surprised at their size – because an implosion would imply everything was destroyed – he quickly realised that it made sense.
The US-based marine academic explained: ‘You sort of think when something is crushed that it’s like stepping on a tin can and crushing it.
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Debris from the Titan is being brought to shore (Picture: AP)
The wreckage was found close to the wreck of the Titanic (Picture: AP)
The incident is being investigated (Picture: AP)
‘But it’s not like that – if it’s crushed, it’s split open and the second it’s split open it’s flooded. So then you have the same amount of water pressure inside and out.’
Dr Spence stressed that he thinks the crew would have known ‘things were going seriously wrong for at least a few minutes’ before the ‘catastrophic event’.
OceanGate Expeditions’ Titan went missing on June 18 and a huge search eventually uncovered debris from the vessel around 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic.
The passengers who died were British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, his 19-year-old son Suleman and OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush.
Today saw photos of pieces of the Titan wreckage being unloaded from the Horizon Arctic ship at the Canadian Coast Guard pier in St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada.
Dr E Lee Spence, 76, has been exploring the ocean since he was 12 years old (Picture: Dr E Lee Spence)
The diver said he understands why the five Titan passengers wanted to see the Titanic (Picture: Dr E Lee Spence)
US maritime officials are investigating, along with bodies from Canada, France and the UK, and they will reportedly issue a report on improving submersible safety.
OceanGate has stated that the Titan completed over 50 test dives, including to depths similar to those of the Titanic, both in waters around the Bahamas as well as in a pressure chamber.
However, previous trips in the Titan have also encountered issues, which have raised concerns about the safety of the vessel.
Attempts to locate the Titan submersible gripped the world this week (Picture: Getty Images)
Doctor Spence spoke about the general dangers of being an explorer – a title he said should be given to the five men who died on the vessel.
He said: ‘I lost my wife on the first day of one of my expeditions, Mel Fisher (a famous American treasure hunter) lost a son.
‘I mean essentially exploring and making discoveries is a dangerous business and that’s what’s happened.
‘I understand why these people wanted to see the Titanic wreck and I think they are explorers in their own right.’
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‘The water would have come in at such a pressure that, once it reached the critical point, it would have happened almost instantly.’