EVERETT, WASHINGTON: OceanGate has suspended all exploration and commercial operations after five people were killed in a catastrophic implosion of the Titan submersible, including the company's CEO, during its expedition to the Titanic wreckage last month. On Thursday, the Everett, Washington-based company announced the development in a banner on its website.
"OceanGate has suspended all exploration and commercial operations," the OceanGate website wrote on its banner in red. OceanGate was founded in 2009 and offered tourists called mission specialists, the opportunity to travel on submersibles into the ocean's depths for $250,000 per passenger.
The Titan Submersible capable of diving 4000 feet lost in implosion
The announcement comes following a catastrophic implosion of the Titan Submersible on July 18. The only carbon-fiber-made sub among others, the company claimed was capable of going 4000 feet deep underwater and specifically built to take tourists to the famous Titanic shipwreck at 3, 800 feet on the sea floor, 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland in Canada.
The Titan which was operated by a gaming controller and boasted one switch operation lost contact with its mother ship, polar prince less than two hours after diving into the sea. The debris of the Titan was found on the ocean floor about 1,600 feet from the bow of the wrecked Titanic on June 22 by a remotely operated vehicle. Soon after the find, the OceanGate announced the death of its CEO, the 61-year-old Stockton Rush, British explorer Hamish Harding, 58; Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son, Suleman Dawood, 19; and French diver Paul-Henry Nargeolet, 77.
Human remains and chunks of Titan were collected from the sea floor last week
A week ago, the chunks of debris of the Titan sub collected from the sea floor at more than 12,000 feet were pictured being unloaded at a Canadian Coast Guard pier with US Coast Guard announcing human remains were also likely recovered from the wreckage. "There is still a substantial amount of work to be done to understand the factors that led to the catastrophic loss of the Titan and help ensure a similar tragedy does not occur again," Coast Guard Chief Capt Jason Neubauer said after the recovery.
Coast Guard has convened an investigation of the implosion at the highest level
He said that human remains will be brought to the United States where medical professionals will conduct a formal analysis. Neubauer as per NPR told the Coast Guard has convened an investigation of the implosion at the highest level. The Marine Board of Investigation, he said will analyze and test evidence, including pieces of debris, at a port in the US. The Coast Guard said the board will share the evidence at a future public hearing at an unannounced date.
Claims that Titan was never safe flooded after five people tragically died during dive to see Titanic
The OceanGates announcements come after the CEO Rush was accused of violating numerous procedural norms about the safety and design of the Titan submersible. Several previous travelers on the sub have revealed horrifying details about the sub which they said was not fit for exploring the sea at such depth even with Rush reportedly once claiming to a potential traveler that it was easier than crossing the street.
A 2022 BBC interview about the 2021 dive claims Rush told the crew to sleep in the sub underwater as Titan's battery died. Jaden Pan a videographer and television professional said, "At first, I thought he was joking because we were over two hours into our expedition and so close to the bottom." Pan continued before stating, "But then he explained that one of the batteries went kaput, and we were having trouble using the electronic drops for the weights, so it would be hard for us to get back up to the surface."
OceanGate as per the website has conducted over 14 expeditions and more than 200 dives across the Pacific, Atlantic, and the Gulf of Mexico.
