Update: 3:30 p.m. Thursday, June 22

At a 3 p.m. press conference, US Coast Guard Rear Adm John Mauger confirmed the loss of a tourist submarine exploring the wreck of the R.M.S. Titanic. “The debris is consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber. Upon this determination we immediately notified the families on behalf of the United States Coast Guard and the entire unified command, I offer my deepest condolences to the families” he said. Mauger also pointed out that the USCG is “deeply grateful” for the international assistance.

Just a few minutes prior to the news, OceanGate, the company that operates the Titan submersible, said in a statement: “We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost.”

Five major pieces of the submersible were found on the ocean floor by the Canadian Horizon Arctic, which deployed a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to scan the Atlantic Ocean floor.

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Update: at 3:00 p.m. Thursday, June 22

(Photo by Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

OceanGate has announced that the five souls aboard their tourist submersible are lost. Details to follow.

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Authorities are examining a “debris field” located near the wreck of the R.M.S. Titanic in the search for a missing tourist submarine. The plight of the five people aboard has captured the attention of the world as specialized water vehicles from across the globe have been summoned to an area approximately 900 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Experts say a “debris field” could indicate a catastrophic event took place as the OceanGate submersible was descending to the ocean floor where the Titanic sits. Yesterday “banging noises” some 30 minutes apart were picked up by sonar elevating hopes that the five people aboard might still be rescued. However time ran out this morning when the 96 hours of emergency oxygen expired.

Then just before 2 p.m. today, the U.S. Coast Guard announced the siting of the “debris field.” A news conference is set for 3 p.m. today regarding the tragic event.