A bronze statue from the Titanic, which is not seen in decades and feared to be lost, was discovered by the company with salvage rights to the wreck site on its first expedition there in many years. RMS Titanic Inc., a Georgia-based company holds the legal rights to the 112-year-old wreck. It completed its first trip since 2010 and released pictures from the expedition on Monday (September 2). The images show a site that continues to evolve even after over a century.
The latest visit to the remote corner of the North Atlantic Ocean where the Titanic sank took place as the US Coast Guard investigates the implosion of the Titan in June 2023 in which all five people on board, including Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who was director of underwater research for RMS Titanic, died. Titan was an experimental submersible owned by a different company.
RMS Titanic took to X and shared the latest picture of the iconic ship's wreck. On a sadder note, it informed that the section of port side railing has fallen to the ocean floor. The change in the image of the Titanic over the years is a "reminder that Titanic is deteriorating". The railing still stood as recently as 2022, the company said.
"Notably, a 15-foot section of port side railing from just aft of her iconic prow has fallen to the ocean floor. From films to literature, TITANIC’s looming hull has become a staple in the story and imagery of the great liner. For decades, the bow was a testament to the resilience of her strength and pride. The drastic change in the celebrated image is a reminder that TITANIC is deteriorating, advancing our resolve to preserve her legacy," it said.
What did RMS Titanic say on latest trip?
RMS Titanic said in a statement that the findings from this summer’s trip “showcase a bittersweet mix of preservation and loss”. A highlight was the rediscovery of the statue “Diana of Versaille,” last seen in 1986, and the statue now has a clear and updated image, the company said.
“The discovery of the statue of Diana was an exciting moment. But we are saddened by the loss of the iconic Bow railing and other evidence of decay which has only strengthened our commitment to preserving Titanic's legacy," said Tomasina Ray, director of collections for RMS Titanic.
The crew spent 20 days at the site and returned to Providence, Rhode Island, on August 9. They captured more than 2 million of the highest resolution pictures of the site ever to exist, the company said.
What’s next?
The team also fully mapped the wreck and its debris field with equipment that should improve understanding of the site, RMS Titanic said. The next step is to process the data so it can be shared with the scientific community, and so “historically significant and at-risk artifacts can be identified for safe recovery in future expeditions,” the company said in a statement.
The company said prior to the expedition that it had an especially important mission in the wake of Nargeolet's death.
The Coast Guard's investigation will be the subject of a public hearing later in September.
Nargeolet's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Titan sub's operator OceanGate, which suspended operations after the implosion. OceanGate has not commented publicly on the lawsuit, which was filed in a Washington state court.
(With AP inputs)
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