The devastating undersea implosion of a tourist submersible, resulting in the loss of all five lives on board during a dive into the Titanic wreck, has sparked concerns over the unregulated nature of such expeditions. Canadian safety officials have taken immediate action, opening an investigation into the incident.
After an intense five-day international rescue effort, a debris field from the submersible named Titan was discovered at the bottom of the North Atlantic. Fragments of the vessel were scattered around 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic wreck, indicating a catastrophic implosion due to the immense hydrostatic pressure at that great depth. The debris was found by a robotic diving vehicle deployed from a Canadian search vessel.
Among the victims of this tragic event were Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, which operated the submersible and offered Titanic trips at a price of $250,000 per person. Stockton Rush was piloting the craft at the time of the incident. The other victims included Hamish Harding, a British billionaire and explorer, Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman, both British citizens of Pakistani origin, as well as renowned French oceanographer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who was a leading authority on the Titanic.
Canada’s Transportation Safety Board (TSB) wasted no time in responding, announcing a safety investigation into the circumstances surrounding the operation of the Titan. This decision was motivated by the fact that the surface support vessel, the Polar Prince, involved in the incident was Canadian-flagged. A team from the TSB has been dispatched to St. John’s, Newfoundland, to collect vital information and conduct interviews related to the tragic event.
