The experts labeled the Titanic submersible disaster, which took five lives on board en route to the remains of the Titanic, an “accident waiting to happen.” The OceanGate-operated submersible suffered a catastrophic implosion on June 18, 2023, an hour and 45 minutes into its dive, which resulted in the tragic loss of all on board.
The now-former director of marine operations at OceanGate, David Lochridge, raised copious red flags over the Titan’s safety far in advance of the incident. He claims there are problems with both the design and construction of the submersible, related to the use of carbon fiber for the hull, which he called “a capricious material under compression.” In addition to being dismissed, Lochridge was fired by OceanGate for his warnings.
This industry is really small, so that means one catastrophe can send ripples throughout. Lochridge’s concerns were shared by many in the submersible community. Patrick Lahey of Triton Submarines explained that building the hull with carbon fiber was a serious risk, as the strength of the material fades with every repetition of high pressure.
Of course, the implosion of the Titan was anything but a surprise to the deep ocean community. Having lost both its tracking signal and communications at that depth of 3,347 meters, when the submersible became incommunicado with its mother ship, experts immediately felt the worst. Of course, later recovered wreckage showed just how violent and catastrophic the implosion had been, with the carbon fiber hull reduced to shards and bits.
A submersible expert, Karl Stanley, had also raised an alarm regarding the safety of Titan after a dive in 2019, where he testified to loud noises indicative of possible flaws in the hull, which were being crushed under tremendous deep-sea pressures. The warnings find OceanGate not acting to it and meeting such an end.
An investigation into the sinking of the Titan is currently going on, involving the U.S. Coast Guard, along with other international partners that are working hard to establish the cause of the catastrophe. The probe, initially projected to end after 12 months, has been extended two more times due to the complexity of the case. The findings will be likely to shed some light on design and operation failures that led to the tragedy.
OceanGate subsequently shut down its operations fully and cooperated with the authorities. It offered its deepest condolences to the families of the five victims, among them being OceanGate co-founder Stockton Rush, the British adventurer Hamish Harding, the expert on the Titanic, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and two Pakistani nationals: Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood.
It’s sent shockwaves throughout the deep-sea exploration community, but it won’t deter future missions. Ohio real estate investor Larry Connor is planning a new mission to the Titanic wreck using a submersible designed for two people that’s capable of resisting extreme pressure.
While investigations continue, deep-sea exploration for advancing scientific knowledge of the ocean shall never be deterred, with the best safety standards adhered to. The disaster that struck the Titan reinforces a key lesson: some of the most inhospitable environments around the world remain under exploration, requiring rigorous engineering controls and very strict safety measures.