Titanic Sub Latest: OceanGate Suspends Exploration and Commercial Activities
After previous reports of safety concerns, the company has pulled the plug indefinitely
The OceanGate tragedy continues to captivate the country. After days of praying for the recovery of the Titan, a private submersible made by the company to explore depths of the ocean that could not be reached by traditional subs, the implosion of the vessel was confirmed. All those onboard, British businessman Hamish Harding; Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his teenage son, Suleman; French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet; and Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate, died instantly, leaving behind so many questions regarding the safety of the vessel. After multiple reports that the company was aware of just how dangerous the deep sea expeditions actually were, the company announced this week that they were pulling the plug.
Less than three weeks after the tragic and fatal accident, OceanGate announced its closure on Thursday. "OceanGate has suspended all exploration and commercial operations," the simple statement on their website reads.
This week footage from a 2022 BBC documentary about OceanGate surfaced, revealing previously documented issues. In one scene, Scott Griffith, a former pilot of OceanGate, loses control of the sub during a previous dive, with the vessel spinning in circles for hours.
"There's something wrong with my thrusters. I'm thrusting and nothing is happening," Griffith says, per the Mirror. According to the documentary, the malfunction was the result of thrusters being mounted improperly, causing them to push in opposite directions.
In another clip, Rush can be heard mentioning that a crew member heard a suspicious sound coming from the sub while on the surface of the ocean. However, he dismissed the concern. "Almost every deep-sea sub makes a noise at some point," he said.
Rush also acknowledged the dangers of the trip to crew members and passengers. "We want everyone going into this fully informed. This is an experimental sub, this is a dangerous environment," he said.
In the same BBC documentary, Rush confessed he "had broken some rules to make" the Titan, comparing himself to US General Douglas MacArthur. "I'd like to be remembered as an innovator. I think it was General MacArthur who says you're remembered by the rules you break," he said. "I've broken some rules to make this. I think I've broken them with logic and good engineering behind me," he added.
According to former OceanGate Expeditions consultant Rob McCallum, he warned Rush in 2018 of the dangers involved. He was "potentially placing yourself and your clients in a dangerous dynamic," he said. "As much as I appreciate entrepreneurship and innovation, you are potentially putting an entire industry at risk."
