NOAA releases audio recording of Titan submersible moments before fatal implosion

When the Titan submersible voyaged toward the bottom of the sea and ended up imploding underwater, the entire industry -- and the world -- was left stunned.

According to the New York Post, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) just released what was described as a "bone-chilling" recording moments before the craft imploded. 

There were five passengers aboard the submersible at the time of the incident, with all five perishing instantly.

The incident occurred on June 18, 2023 in the North Atlantic Ocean. It was diving down to the Titanic wreckage site.

What was the audio?

The recording released by NOAA, which had never been heard before this week, didn't reveal any voices, but several different noises can be heard moments before the craft imploded.

The New York Post noted:

The never-before-heard audio clip published online Friday captures staticky white noise followed by a loud boom and reverb — and then the static again.

Officials said the boom is the sound of the sub imploding before reaching the Titanic wreck site on the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean on June 18, 2023.

Notably, the recording was picked up by a moored passive acoustic recorder about 900 miles away from where the craft met its fate.

NOAA has released audio of the deadly Titan submersible implosion by a recorder stationed 900 miles away. All five people on board the submersible were killed. pic.twitter.com/uE7TKI4hq6

— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 12, 2025

The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed the audio clip was "the suspected acoustic signature of the Titan submersible implosion."

The Post added:

The sub’s passengers — OceanGate co-founder and CEO Stockton Rush, UK billionaire Hamish Harding, French explorer Paul-Henry Nargeolet and father and son Shahzada Dawood and Suleman Dawood — were all killed in the implosion.

Social media reaction

Social media users weighed in on the eerie audio clip, which lasted about 20 seconds. Many commented on how profound it was given that it was recorded some 900 miles away.

"That strong of audio from 900 miles away is wild. This is haunting," one X user wrote.

Another X user wrote, "Hope they didn’t see it coming. The terror would be awful."

The story made global headlines after the wreck, as it was revealed that the craft likely had several structural flaws and was not independently reviewed before it made its voyage, as is common practice.