Dan Walker brought Channel 5's live special on the missing Titanic sub to an immediate halt on Thursday night, as a statement came in from OceanGate Expeditions, confirming that the company responsible for the undersea trip believed everyone on board was now 'lost.'
When it was announced that Channel 5 had commissioned hour long broadcast Titanic Sub: Lost at Sea, the broadcaster was hit with immediate backlash from viewers, over the 'bad timing' of the show, given that the oxygen supply to the submersible was set to run out just hour earlier, as the family of the five passengers onboard hoped and prayed for a miracle.
Around two hours before Lost at Sea was due to air, a big update about the missing submarine came in, as debris was found in the search area scoured by those involved in the rescue mission, as it was swiftly followed up by claims that the debris belonged to the Titan. Former BBC Breakfast Dan was at the helm of the live special, as he was joined by experts in the studio, to profile the five men on board and examine the chances of a successful rescue.
READ MORE: Titanic missing submarine LIVE: Updates as debris found in search area
Before the programme started, it had already been announced that there would be a press conference at 8pm UK time to give a significant update on the search and, minutes before that was due to start, a statement was handed to Dan, which had just come in from OceanGate.
Dan immediately delivered in live on air, with the statement reading: "We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost. These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans."
It ended: "Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew.”
After the press conference confirmed a 'catastrophic implosion' involving the sub, Dan drew the Channel 5 programme to a close by saying: "It was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime; a chance to see something few people would ever dream of, the chance go somewhere few people would ever dare to go. Well tonight, four days after the Titan sub went missing, we've finally had the news we've all been dreading. All five men on board sadly lost their lives. Five men who the world had been praying for the last four ays; five families very much will be in all our thoughts tonight."
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