In June 2023, a “descent into history” offered by the Titan submersible to the Titanic shipwreck turned tragic with crushing pressure from the deep sea. Today, a U.S. Coast Guard hearing is probing what went wrong during that ill-fated dive.
The Titan’s Journey
The Titan was made to take scientists almost 13,000 feet into the sea to observe Titanic’s remains. The expedition was exhilarating for the first few seconds; however, things would go terribly wrong soon after. The submersible was in touch with its mothership, the Polar Prince, as it dived into the depths. An animation that was shown at the hearing shows this and also indicates the manner in which the submersible transmitted messages both upwards and downwards .
Final Messages
One of the final messages from the Titan was, “all good here.” Thirty-one minutes later than that transmission, the Titan lost contact with the Polar Prince. Tragically, the five people in the submersible were killed instantly when it imploded. Among the casualties were British adventurer Hamish Harding, renowned explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, father and son Shahzada and Suleiman Dawood. Stockton Rush, OceanGate’s founder, was also in the submersible.
Safety Concerns
During the hearing, the previous finance director of OceanGate gave damning testimony in court over the serious safety concerns that she had. She testified that the task of working on the submersible was given to young engineers, mostly between their late teens to early twenties with no direct leadership. The lack of experience by these young engineers leaves safety an issue towards the Titan.
Leadership by Stockton Rush
Stockton Rush was reportedly an obstinate leader. According to one of his former colleagues, he would do battle for what he wanted, and decisions may change on a day-to-day basis. This made it difficult for others to raise their voices. The company had a history of taking shortcuts and failing to conduct proper safety procedures. For example, there were no third-party checks conducted on the vessel, and most of the missions were marred with errors.
Testing and Maintenance Problems
One of the most significant problems brought up at the hearing involved nondestructive testing for the carbon fiber used on the Titan. While this type of testing was discussed, it was never carried out. This may have contributed to the disaster.
What Happened?
There were many problems with the Titan journey. There have been instances of equipment failure and safety concerns in previous dives. Such a history of problems raised several questions about whether Titan was prepared for such a perilous trip.
The Investigation
The U.S. Coast Guard Marine Board conducts an investigation into what had caused the implosion of Titan. In its quest for the truth, occurrences surrounding the incident would be unfolded together with crimes that were committed in seeking such a reality. Through the hearings, rules in the exploration of the undersea are going to be rewritten so that there are no more such incidences.
Voices of Concern
Many of OceanGate’s former employees have spoken out and voiced their experiences as well as concerns. They have raised awareness to the general public about the requirement of proper safety measures and personnel who are more experienced in carrying out missions of such danger.
Companies who explore the deep waters should focus first on safety.
Conclusion
The sad journey of Titan submersible should be a wake-up call to the entire world, focusing on safety in adventure tourism, especially where risks are maximized. Then, with such an investigation, there will be lessons learned not to repeat such incidents in the future. Not forgetting such brave souls who have lost their lives during this expedition, whose stories will not be forgotten, and they will influence history through undersea exploration.
