The co-founder of OceanGate, Guillermo Sohnlein, described the original vision for the company as creating a fleet of deep-diving submersibles capable of carrying five people to 6,500 yards deep with no dedicated mothership. Despite leaving the company before the Titan disaster in June 2023, Sohnlein defended the company’s efforts to give humanity greater access to the ocean, specifically the deep ocean. The U.S. Coast Guard opened a public hearing to investigate the cause of the implosion, with testimony focusing on the troubled nature of OceanGate. Former operations director David Lochridge testified that the company was primarily focused on making money, rather than scientific exploration.
The Titan submersible’s implosion set off a global debate about the future of private undersea exploration, highlighting the unconventional design and impatience of OceanGate to get the craft into the water. Steven Ross, the scientific director for OceanGate, mentioned that the sub malfunctioned days before its fatal dive in the North Atlantic. Coast Guard officials noted that the submersible had not been independently reviewed, as is standard practice, raising further scrutiny in the undersea exploration community. OceanGate suspended its operations after the implosion and has been represented by an attorney during the ongoing hearing.
During the final dive of the Titan in June 2023, the crew lost contact with the support ship after exchanging texts about the submersible’s depth and weight. The crew reassured the Polar Prince ship that everything was fine shortly before the implosion occurred. Rescuers rushed to the area where the submersible was reported overdue, located about 435 miles south of St. John’s, Newfoundland. Wreckage of the Titan was found on the ocean floor near the bow of the Titanic, more than 12,000 feet underwater, leading to the tragic loss of all crew members on board.
OceanGate has been fully cooperating with the Coast Guard and NTSB investigations since they began, with Titan making previous voyages to the Titanic wreckage site starting from 2021. The implosion also resulted in the deaths of veteran Titanic explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, members of a prominent Pakistani family, and a British adventurer. Nargeolet’s family filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against OceanGate, citing his extensive experience in diving to the Titanic site as “Mr. Titanic.” The aftermath of the Titan disaster has raised questions about the safety and regulation of private undersea exploration efforts and the responsibility of companies like OceanGate to prioritize safety and scientific exploration over profit.
