Two years ago, the world watched in horror after news broke that a submersible had gone missing off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The submersible, named Titan, was operated by OceanGate. The company took passengers on journeys to the Titanic wreckage in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean via the Titan submersible. In this particular instance, passengers paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to embark on this ill-fated voyage.
Over the course of several days, the public was under the impression that the missing submersible, which had five passengers on board, was running low on oxygen and that time was running out to safely rescue them.
This entire narrative was debunked when wreckage of the Titan submersible was discovered on the ocean floor, not far from the wreckage of the Titanic.
The vessel had imploded on its journey to the depths of the ocean. All the passengers were killed instantly. OceanGate folded as a result.
🚨#BREAKING: New haunting footage has been released by the U.S. Coast Guard, showing the tail cone of the Titan submersible after the fatal implosion that killed five people in June 2023. Their last messages from the doomed vessel were, ‘All good here… Dropped two [weights] pic.twitter.com/4Bbe6LmMrk
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) September 18, 2024
This week, the United States Coast Guard published its over 300-page report on the tragic Titan submersible incident.
The cause of death was “the loss of structural integrity” of the vessel which instigated the implosion (via Defense.gov):
The U.S. Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation determined that the initiating event leading to the loss of the TITAN and the five persons on board which occurred at approximately 10:47 a.m. on June 18, 2023, was the loss of structural integrity of the TITAN’s carbon fiber hull. This loss of structural integrity caused the sudden catastrophic implosion of the hull.
Following the implosion, the five individuals aboard were exposed to approximately 4,930 pounds per square inch of water pressure, resulting in the instantaneous death of all five occupants.
Jason Neubauer, the Titan Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) chair said in a statement that the loss of the lives on Titan was “preventable.”
According to the report, OceanGate’s engineering protocols, certification process, maintenance, and inspection processes were inadequate.
That’s not all. The investigation found that OceanGate possessed a toxic workplace culture and was plagued with financial issues.
“The investigation further identified the need for proper corporate governance, a professional workplace culture, and improved regulatory oversight, in particular for novel vessel designs and operations,” the report stated. The report detailed how OceanGate had an ineffective whistleblower process under the Seaman’s Protection Act.
Additionally, at the beginning of 2023, before the incident, OceanGate employees were asked to “defer our paychecks” due to financial hardships.
“I believe the finances were just getting very tight at that time,” Amber Bay, OceanGate’s former director of administration, told investigators.
Throughout the winter of 2022-2023, the submersible was stored in an outdoor parking lot to save on costs.
“OceanGate’s decision to store the Titan and its associated equipment outdoors in the Canadian winter environment raises significant concerns regarding both the company’s operational practices and its willingness to implement imprudent costsaving measures,” the report outlined.
The report also detailed a haunting incident from 2022 where the Titan submersible became stuck in the wreckage of the Titanic. As a result, the “carbon fiber hull sustained irreversible damage.”
Despite this, OceanGate still embarked on the 2023 journey to the Titanic that killed everyone on board.
Had OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush survived, he would have likely faced criminal charges. Rush was operating the submersible when the implosion occurred.
“The two-year investigation has identified multiple contributing factors that led to this tragedy, providing valuable lessons learned to prevent a future occurrence. There is a need for stronger oversight and clear options for operators who are exploring new concepts outside of the existing regulatory framework. I am optimistic the ROI’s findings and recommendations will help improve awareness of the risks and the importance of proper oversight while still providing a pathway for innovation,” Neubauer said.
The Marine Board’s report is now under review by the Commandant of the Coast Guard.
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