Titan submersible implosion: A preventable tragedy

The U.S. Coast Guard published the final report of the Titan submersible implosion that led to the death of five people during an expedition to the Titanic wreckage in 2023.

The investigation attributed the disaster to “critically flawed” safety practices, a “toxic work culture”, and “glaring disparities” between written protocols and actual practice at OceanGate.

Jason Neubauer, the chairman of the Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation, said, “This marine casualty and the loss of five lives was preventable.”

The reports suggested that the submersible imploded because the carbon-fibre hull was inadequate for the deep-sea pressure. The OceanGate has a flawed inspection and certification process.

Safety protocols were often neglected due to a toxic work culture at the company.

The report says, “A toxic workplace environment which used the firing of senior staff members and the looming threat of being fired to dissuade employees and contractors from expressing safety concerns.”

The 335-page report claimed that the company use “intimidating tactics” to evade scrutiny.

“By strategically creating and exploiting regulatory confusion and oversight challenges, OceanGate was ultimately able to operate Titan completely outside of the established deep-sea protocols,” the report further read.

The negligence of OceanGate CEO and Titan pilot Stockton Rush, who also died in the implosion, played a significant role in the tragic incident. He ignored all the safety warnings.

Mr. Rush has “exhibited negligence that contributed to the deaths of four individuals.”

The Coast Guard said that the submersible was neither registered, certified, inspected, nor classified.

The OceanGate scandal refers to the Titan submersible implosion that happened in June 2023. Five people lost their lives, including the CEO of OceanGate, during an expedition to visit the wreckage of the Titanic.

The Titanic hit the iceberg in 1912 and almost 1,500 people lost their lives.

How much did OceanGate charge to go to the Titanic?

OceanGate charged $250,000 per person to find the Titanic wreckage.