The US Coast Guard has released footage from the support ship of Oceangate’s Titan submersible, which imploded during a dive to the Titanic wreck site in June 2023. The incident resulted in the deaths of all five people on board.
Incident Overview
- Time of Implosion: Titan imploded about 90 minutes into its descent.
- Depth of Titanic: The Titanic lies approximately 3,800 meters down.
- Passengers on Board:
- Stockton Rush (Oceangate’s CEO)
- Hamish Harding (British explorer)
- Paul Henri Nargeolet (veteran French diver)
- Shahzada Dawood (British-Pakistani businessman) and his 19-year-old son, Suleman
- Wendy Rush (Stockton’s wife)
Wendy Rush’s Experience
Wendy Rush was on board with her husband when she heard what she thought was a door slamming shut at around 3 kilometers depth. She paused and asked other crew members if they knew anything about it. Moments later, she received a message indicating that two weights had been dropped, which typically occurs at much greater depths.
- Initial Reaction: "I’m sure it wasn’t us," Mrs. Rush said, as others nodded in agreement.
- Realization of Bad News: Her expression changed as she understood there must be bad news ahead. "It can’t be right," she said before turning off her screen and leaving the room where many staff were gathered watching events unfold live via satellite link from Titan.
She later returned with tears streaming down her face after receiving confirmation from Mr. Harding, who told her, "it didn’t make sense." When she asked him why he hadn’t called, he replied, "Because I couldn’t call."
Investigation Findings
Investigators state that Titan imploded due to delamination, where layers inside its carbon fiber hull broke apart under pressure. The US Coast Guard indicates that this process began during an earlier dive last year when Titan first visited the Titanic wreck site, almost exactly one year prior to its fatal voyage.
Concerns About Carbon Fiber Reliability
A key concern among deep-sea experts is the reliability of carbon fiber to withstand extreme pressures without breaking apart or losing integrity. Sources close to the company have indicated that officials admitted a lack of independent safety assessments until very recently, despite having operated hundreds of successful dives previously. These claims remain unverified by outside parties but raise serious questions regarding operational practices and structural integrity, particularly given multiple red flags raised throughout the history of the company.
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