A bronze statue from the Titanic, long considered to be gone forever, was unearthed during a recent trip by the corporation that owns salvage rights to the wreck site.
The journey to the desolate North Atlantic Ocean, where the Titanic sank, coincided with the US Coast Guard’s inquiry into the Titan, a submersible owned by another business, which imploded in June 2023.
The Titan submarine catastrophe killed all five persons on board, including RMS Titanic’s director of underwater research, Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
RMS Titanic Inc. described the results of this summer’s voyage as a “bittersweet mix of preservation and loss.”
The finding of the statue “Diana of Versailles,” which had been missing since 1986, was a major highlight. The firm has now provided a clear and updated image of the statue.
Part of the railing has fallen from the bow of the wreck of the Titanic where statue located
However, RMS Titanic reported that a major piece of the railing surrounding the ship’s bow’s forecastle deck had fallen. According to the company, the railing remained in place until 2022.
“Discovering the Diana statue was a thrilling time. However, the loss of the famous Bow railing and other degradation evidence has only increased our dedication to conserving Titanic’s heritage,” said Tomasina Ray, RMS Titanic’s director of collections.
The group spent 20 days at the location before returning to Providence, Rhode Island, on August 9. They took more than two million high-resolution photos of the wreck. The team also employed modern technology to properly map the crash and its debris field, which will help them better comprehend the site.
Meanwhile, a public hearing on the Coast Guard’s probe into the Titan submarine accident will take place later in September.
Nargeolet’s family has launched a wrongful death case against OceanGate, the Titan submarine’s operator, which has since ceased operations.
