>>> FROM CBS NEWS BAYER THIS IS THE AFTERNOON EDITION. >>> BREAKING NEWS ON THE AFTERNOON EDITION. THE NEWS CONFERENCE GETTING UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW FOR THE SEARCH FOR THE MISSING EXPLORERS AND OCEANIC TOURISTS, LET'S LISTEN IN. >> FROM THE VESSEL HORIZON ARCTIC DISCOVERED THE TAIL CONE OF THE TITAN SUBMERSIBLE, PROXIMATELY 1600 FEET FROM THE BOW OF THE TITANIC ON THE SEAFLOOR . THE ARE OF THE SUBSEQUENTLY FOUND ADDITIONAL DEBRIS , IN CONSULTATION WITH EXPERTS FROM WITHIN THE UNIFIED COMMAND, 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. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT THIS HAS BEEN LIKE FOR THEM . AND I HOPE THAT THIS DISCOVERY PROVIDES SOME SOLACE DURING THIS DIFFICULT TIME . ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE BEEN IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE BRITISH AND FRENCH CONSULS GENERAL TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE FULLY APPRISED AND THAT THERE CONCERNS ARE BEING ADDRESSED. THE OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT IN THIS HIGHLY COMPLEX SEARCH OPERATION HAS BEEN ROBUST AND IMMENSELY APPRECIATED . WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE RAPID MOBILIZATION OF EXPERTS ON THE UNDERSEA SEARCH AND RESCUE, AND WE THANK ALL OF THE AGENCIES AND PERSONNEL FOR THEIR ROLE IN THE RESPONSE . WE ARE ALSO INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR THE FULL SPECTRUM OF INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED. THE ROV'S WILL REMAIN ON SCENE AND CONTINUED TO GATHER INFORMATION. AGAIN , OUR MOST HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES GO OUT TO THE LOVED ONES OF THE CREW . WE WILL NOW TAKE QUESTIONS. >> Reporter: [ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ] THIS WAS AN INCREDIBLY COMPLEX CASE . AND WE ARE STILL WORKING TO DEVELOP THE DETAILS FOR THE TIMELINE INVOLVED WITH THIS CASUALTY AND THE RESPONSE . AND SO WE WILL PROVIDE THAT -- >> Reporter: [ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ] >> SO THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY COMPLEX OPERATING ENVIRONMENT ON THE SEAFLOOR, OVER TWO MILES DENISE THE SURFACE. AND SO THE REMOTE OPERATING VEHICLE HAS BEEN SEARCHING AND IT IS HIGHLY CAPABLE, AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CLASSIFY PARTS OF THE PRESSURE CHAMBER FOR THE TITAN SUBMERSIBLE. LET ME REFER TO ONE OF MY UNDERSEA EXPERTS HERE, MR. PAUL HANKIN, TO TALK ABOUT THE NATURE OF SOME OF THE DEBRIS. >> THANK YOU, ADMIRAL . SO ESSENTIALLY, WE FOUND FIVE DIFFERENT MAJOR PIECES OF DEBRIS THAT TOLD US THAT IT WAS THE REMAINS OF THE TITAN . THE INITIAL THING WE FOUND WAS THE NOSE CONE , WAS OUTSIDE OF THE PRESSURE WHOLE. THEN FOUND A LARGE DEBRIS FIELD, WITHIN THAT LARGE DEBRIS FIELD, WE FOUND THE FRONT END BELL OF THE PRESSURE HULL . THAT WAS THE FIRST INDICATION THAT THERE WAS A CATASTROPHIC EVENT . SHORTLY THEREAFTER , WE FOUND A SECOND, SMALLER DEBRIS FIELD WITHIN THAT DEBRIS FIELD. WE FOUND THE OTHER END OF THE PRESSURE HULL, THE AFT END BELL. WHICH WAS BASICALLY COMPRISED OF THE TOTALITY OF THAT PRESSURE VESSEL. WE CONTINUE TO MAP THE DEBRIS FIELD. AND AS THE ADMIRAL SAID , WE WILL DO THE BEST WE CAN TO FULLY MAP OUT WHAT IS DOWN THERE. >> Reporter: IS A VERY DIFFICULT QUESTION TO ASK , BUT WHAT ARE THE PROSPECTS OF RECOVERY? >> SO THE QUESTION WAS , I AM RESTATING THE QUESTION FOR THE STANDPOINT OF SOMETIMES IT IS HARD TO HEAR THE QUESTION HERE, WHAT ARE THE PROSPECTS FOR RECOVERING CREW MEMBERS? SO THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY UNFORGIVING ENVIRONMENT DOWN THERE ON THE SEAFLOOR. AND THE DEBRIS IS CONSISTENT WITH A CATASTROPHIC IMPLOSION OF THE VESSEL . AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK AND CONTINUE TO SEARCH THE AREA DOWN THERE . BUT I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR PROSPECTS AT THIS TIME. >> Reporter: ANY SUGGESTION AT ALL THAT THE SUB ITSELF COLLIDED WITH THE TITANIC ? OR INSTEAD, THE WRECKAGE MIGHT'VE RAINED DOWN NEARBY? >> SO THE QUESTION WAS, IS THERE ANY QUESTION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE SUB COLLIDED WITH THE TITANIC OR WHETHER IT IMPLODED ABOVE IT. THE FIELD CREATED FROM THAT. SO THE LOCATION OF THE TITAN SUBMERSIBLE WAS IN AN AREA THAT WAS APPROXIMATELY 1600 FEET FROM THE WRECK OF THE TITANIC . I HAVE AN EXPERT HERE THAT IS FAMILIAR WITH THAT AREA, AND CAN TALK ABOUT THE DEBRIS FIELD AND WHAT THE DEBRIS FIELD INDICATES IN TERMS OF WHERE THE CASUALTY MAY OCCUR. >> THANK YOU, ADMIRAL, SO THE QUESTION IS, WHERE DOES THE WRECK LIE IN RELATION TO THE TITANIC? AND THE ADMIRALS ANSWER, I THINK 1600 FEET, IS THAT CORRECT? SO THAT IS OFF THE BOW OF TITANIC. IT IS IN AN AREA WHERE THERE IS NOT ANY DEBRIS OF TITANIC. IT IS A SMOOTH BOTTOM . TO MY KNOWLEDGE, AND ANYTHING I HAVE SEEN, THERE IS NO TITANIC WRECKAGE IN THAT AREA. AND AGAIN, 200+ METERS FROM THE BOW. CONSISTENT WITH THE LOCATION OF LAST COMMUNICATION FOR AN IMPLOSION IN THE WATER COLUMN . THE SIZE OF THE DEBRIS FIELD IS CONSISTENT WITH THAT IMPLOSION IN THE WATER COLUMN. THANKS. >> Reporter: IN TERMS OF THE TIMING HERE, SEEING THAT THIS WAS A CATASTROPHIC IMPLOSION , IS IT YOUR ESTIMATION THAT IT HAPPENED RIGHT AT THE MOMENT THAT THEY LOST CONTACT , ABOUT 45 MINUTES AFTER THE DISSENT? >> THE QUESTION WAS ABOUT THE TIMING OF THE CATASTROPHIC IMPLOSION RIGHT NOW IT IS TOO EARLY TO TELL WITH THAT. WE KNOW THAT AS WE HAVE BEEN PROSECUTING THIS SEARCH OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST 72 HOURS AND BEYOND THAT WE HAVE HAD SONAR BUOYS IN THE WATER , NEARLY CONTINUOUSLY, AND HAVE NOT DETECTED ANY CATASTROPHIC EVENTS WHEN THOSE SONAR BUOYS HAVE BEEN IN THE WATER. >> Reporter: [ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ] >> SO WE WILL , THE QUESTION WAS, WHAT HAPPENS FROM HERE? WHAT IS THE NEXT PHASE? AND SO RIGHT NOW, AGAIN , OUR THOUGHTS ARE WITH THE FAMILIES AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING , AS BEST AS WE CAN PROVIDE OF WHAT HAPPENED AND BEGIN TO FIND SOME CLOSURE . IN TERMS OF THE LARGE PROCESS, WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE THE SITE OF THE DEBRIS FIELD . AND THEN I KNOW THAT THERE IS ALSO A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW, WHY, AND WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN? AND SO YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE QUESTIONS THAT WE WILL COLLECT AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE CAN ON NOW WHILE THE GOVERNMENTS ARE MEETING AND DISCUSSING WHAT AN INVESTIGATION OF THIS NATURE OF THE CASUALTY IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED, I WILL JUST REMIND EVERYBODY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED IN A REMOTE PORTION OF THE OCEAN WITH PEOPLE FROM , YOU KNOW, SEVERAL DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD . AND SO IT IS A COMPLEX CASE TO WORK THROUGH. BUT I AM CONFIDENT THAT THOSE QUESTIONS WILL BEGIN TO GET ANSWERS. >> Reporter: [ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ] >> THE QUESTION WAS , WAS THERE ANY SUGGESTION THAT TIME FACTORS MAY HAVE PLAYED A ROLE OR A CONSIDERATION IN THE CASUALTY HERE ? AND SO THE DEBRIS FIELD IS CONSISTENT WITH A CATASTROPHIC IMPLOSION OF THE VESSEL . AGAIN, WHILE WE WERE PROSECUTING THE SEARCH WE HAD LISTENING DEVICES IN THE WATER THROUGHOUT AND DID NOT HEAR ANY SIGNS OF CATASTROPHIC FAILURE FROM THOSE. AND SO WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE . WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DOCUMENT THE INFORMATION THERE AND UNDERSTAND BASED ON ALL THE INFORMATION WE HAVE AT THE TIME. >> Reporter: [ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ] >> SO THE QUESTION WAS, WHAT ARE THE RESOURCES REQUIRED FOR THE INVESTIGATION WHICH SHIPS WILL BE PULLING OUT AND STAYING IN? AND SO IT IS TOO EARLY FOR ME TO TALK ABOUT AN INVESTIGATION. THAT IS A DECISION THAT IS GOING TO BE TAKEN OUTSIDE OF THE SEARCH AND EFFORTS THAT I WAS LEADING. AND, BUT WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF VESSELS, WE HAVE NINE VESSELS ON THE SCENE RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE MEDICAL PERSONNEL ON SCENE, WE HAD OTHER TECHNICIANS ON SCENE. SO WE WILL BEGIN TO DEMOBILIZE PERSONNEL AND VESSELS FROM THE SCENE OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT 24 HOURS . BUT WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE REMOTE OPERATIONS ON THE SEAFLOOR . AND I DON'T HAVE A TIMELINE FOR WHEN WE WOULD INTEND TO STOP REMOTE OPERATIONS ON THE SEAFLOOR. >> Reporter: YOU ARE LISTENING IN WITH A LIVE PRESS CONFERENCE WITH THE U.S. COAST GUARD AS OUR WORST FEARS HAVE BEEN REALIZED THIS AFTERNOON. OUR HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES GO OUT TO THE CREW OF THE TITAN. ALL PRESUMED DEAD AFTER THE ROBOTICS SUB FOUND A DEBRIS FIELD 1600 FEET FROM THE BOW OF THE TITANIC. >> THE COAST GUARD CALLING THIS JUST A CATASTROPHIC IMPLOSION, ALTHOUGH THE DETAILS OF WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED TO THIS SUBMERSIBLE ARE STILL UNCLEAR. WE KNOW THAT THEY FOUND FIVE MAIN PIECES OF DEBRIS FROM THE SUBMERSIBLE , ABOUT 1600 FEET FROM THE BOW OF THE TITANIC. SOME AREAS , SOME OF THE PIECES THAT THEY FOUND WERE CONNECTED TO, OBVIOUSLY THE SUBMERSIBLE AND ALL THE FAMILIES HAD BEEN NOTIFIED. THERE WERE FIVE PEOPLE ON BOARD THIS VESSEL, INCLUDING ONE PROMINENT BAY AREA BUSINESSMAN WHO WAS THE HEAD OF A PAKISTANI CONGLOMERATE ALONG WITH HIS SON . ALSO ON BOARD, A FRENCH RESEARCHER WHO HAD BEEN TO THE TITANIC SITE OVER 30 TIMES . ALSO THE HEAD OF OCEANGATE, WHICH WAS THE MANUFACTURER IN THE COMPANY THAT OPERATED HIS TOUR, AS WELL AS A BRITISH BILLIONAIRE, SO JUST A TRAGIC LOSS. YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE PAST FEW DAYS. YOU ARE HOPING, OBVIOUSLY AS TIME GOES ON , THE CHANCE FOR A MIRACLE OBVIOUSLY GOES DOWN. BUT YOU KEPT HOPING, OKAY, MAYBE THIS WAS SOMETHING, MAYBE THE NOISES THAT THEY WERE HEARING, MAYBE THAT WAS THE ATTEMPT TO TRY TO REACH ANYBODY. MAYBE THAT WAS THIS CREW. AND OBVIOUSLY NOT, NOT THE OUTCOME . >> A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE VERY HOPEFUL, HOPING FOR THAT MIRACLE AS WE WERE INTO DAY FIVE CENTS THAT SUBMERSIBLE WENT DOWN ON SUNDAY. STILL A
