Inside billionaire’s Triton sub that's set to visit Titanic's wreck year after OceanGate disaster

Following the Titan submarine accident about a year ago, a US billionaire has made it his mission to reach the depths of the Atlantic Ocean to visit the wreckage of Titanic, a British ocean liner that sank on April 15, 1912, after crashing into an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City, US.

Real estate billionaire Larry Connor, 74, is investing $20 million in his new submersible with Triton Submarines, a company that confirmed plans to explore the wreckage in 2026, Lad Bible reported.

He said: "I want to show people worldwide that while the ocean is extremely powerful, it can be wonderful and enjoyable and really kind of life-changing if you go about it the right way."

As co-CEO of Triton Submarines, he is collaborating with Patrick Lahey, who has over 40 years of submersible experience.

Before the OceanGate departure, Lahey had expressed his concerns about the conduct of OceanGate. 

He had called OceanGate's strategy for commercial underwater exploration "predatory."

Lahey’s new submersible will be known as the Triton 4000/2 Abyssal Explorer. The name "4000" alludes to its maximum depth of 4000 metres, which is somewhat greater than the 3,800 metres where the Titanic rests.

It has a much smaller capacity than the doomed Titan submersible, as it only fits two people.

Triton Submarines told The Independent that, unlike OceanGate, they currently have no plans to offer commercial trips to the Titanic.