The Titan, a submersible operated by OceanGate, was launched and set sail on the 18th of June, 2023 to the famous shipwreck of the Titanic. It had five occupants including the co-founder of OceanGate. 1 hour and 45 minutes after starting its dive, it lost communication with its mother ship, The Polar Prince, and was then noted as a missing vessel. The Titan had 96 hours of life support capacity for the voyage which left a voiced concern and countdown to its expiration; all hopes high that the submersible was still intact.
The tourist expedition then turned into a search and rescue mission. The United States Coast Guard, US Navy and Canadian Coast Guard led the search and rescue. Normally, most submersibles are fitted with an acoustic beacon for tracking but it was not confirmed if the Titan had one. Much effort was put into the mission, with assets such as ROVs, commercial and research ships and aircrafts for aerial search being deployed. As the Titan was nearing the end of its oxygen limit, the lower the prospects were of finding the men alive.
Unfortunate Demise
On the 22nd of June, it was reported that debris was discovered by a remotely operated vehicle approximately 1600 feet from the bow of the Titanic. It was confirmed to be parts of the pressure vessel and the tail cone of the Titan. In an afternoon press conference, the US Coast Guard, Rear Admiral John W. Mauger announced that the Titan had suffered a catastrophic implosion and the crew is presumed dead. As the story developed and caught global attention, previous concerns made about the safety of the vessel were brought to light. In the records, Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate, is described to having insisted that excessive safety protocols hindered innovation. The Titan had not undergone any certification unlike other submersibles which several experts warned about. Moreover, all passengers paid $250,000 each and signed a waiver confirming that they knew it was “experimental and could result to physical injury, disability, emotional trauma or death.” Additionally, the submersible was operated by a wireless game controller with analogue sticks and could only be opened from the outside.
All in all, people have extended their deepest condolences to the family and friends of those who lost their lives in the implosion. This major marine casualty shall be under investigation to determine the cause of the implosion.