Titanic-bound submersible suffered 'catastrophic implosion,' killing all 5 on board, US Coast Guard says

The Titanic-bound submersible that went missing on Sunday with five people on board suffered a "catastrophic implosion," killing everyone on board, US Coast Guard Rear Adm. John Mauger said Thursday.

The tail cone and other debris from the missing submersible were found by a remotely operated vehicle about 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic, which rests about 13,000 feet deep in the North Atlantic Ocean.

"This is an incredibly unforgiving environment down there on the sea floor and the debris is consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel," Mauger, the First Coast Guard District commander, told reporters.

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Five different major pieces of debris from the submersible, known as the "Titan," were found in the area, and each end of the pressure hull was found in a different place, according to Paul Hankins, US Navy Director of Salvage Operations and Ocean Engineering.

The families were immediately notified, Mauger said. "I can only imagine what this has been like for them and I hope that this discovery provides some solace during this difficult time," he said.

Minutes before the news conference, OceanGate Expeditions, the company that operated the deep-sea submersible, issued a statement grieving the five men on board.