The heartbreaking moment the co-founder of OceanGate learned that debris from the Titan submersible had been found was captured during a BBC interview.
Guillermo Sohnlein, along with Stockton Rush, is co-founder of OceanGate Expeditions - which was set up in 2009.
During the interview, Sohnlein was told off the cuff that debris had been found on the ocean floor amid the search for the missing vessel.
"I'm sorry, some what has been found?" asked Sohnlein - clearly overwhelmed by the abrupt revelation. The BBC journalist went on to say he was simply informed that debris had been found and knew nothing more at that stage.
Check out the harrowing moment below:Evidently taken back by the news, Sohnlein likely was aware that the discovery of debris meant an implosion may have occurred.
He said at the time: "I'm not sure [what the debris is] because I'm hearing this for the first time but I know that the protocol for lost comms is for the pilot to surface the sub. From the beginning I always thought that's probably what Stockton would have done.
"In which case it becomes very difficult to find the sub because the surface ship wouldn't have known it was coming up and wouldn't have known where to look. My biggest fear through this whole thing watching the operations unfold is that they're floating around on the surface and they're just very difficult to find."
It was later confirmed that the debris, which was found by a remotely operated vehicle deployed by the Canadian vessel Horizon Arctic, was from the Titan sub.
The five passengers in the submersible were British billionaire Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood (along with his 19-year-old son, Suleman), French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet and finally Stockton Rush - the CEO of OceanGate - which operates the sub.
They are believed to have died when the implosion happened.
"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," Titan sub operator OceanGate said in a statement.
"These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world's oceans. 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."
Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger said it is not yet clear if the deceased victims can be recovered.
"This is an incredibly unforgiving environment down there on the seafloor, and the debris is consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel," he said. "We'll continue to work and search the area down there."
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