Shocking Photo Reveals Titan Submersible Falling Apart Two Years Before Implosion
The ongoing public hearing into the Titan submersible disaster has uncovered a disturbing revelation – part of the experimental vessel fell off before it imploded in June. Referred to as the “Titanic tourist sub”, the Oceangate submersible had a controversial design that had raised concerns both within and outside of the company prior to the tragic event that claimed the lives of five individuals.
Former Oceangate operations director David Lochridge disclosed last week that he was terminated for expressing his concerns about the submersible’s design. Experts believe that the vessel’s carbon fibre hull, deemed unsuitable for operations at extreme depths, was compromised during repeated dives to the Titanic wreck located approximately 12,500 feet beneath the North Atlantic Ocean, as stated by National Transportation Safety Board engineer Don Kramer during his testimony.
The US Coast Guard, responsible for investigating the sinking, recently released a photograph showing that the dome section of the vessel, used for viewing the Titanic wreck, detached when the sub returned to the surface following a dive in 2021. Testimony from a commercial passenger on the Titan, Fred Hagen, indicated the severity of the incident, with bolts around the dome violently detaching upon impact with the mother vessel.
In addition to this catastrophic event, the submersible encountered over 100 technical malfunctions, including being struck by lightning in its earlier stages, before its fatal implosion in June. The tragedy claimed the lives of Oceangate CEO Stockton Rush, French Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British billionaire Hamish Harding, Pakistani billionaire Shahzada Dawood, and his son Suleman Dawood, who were commercial passengers paying $250,000 each.
A specialist from the 2021 mission where the dome fell off, Renata Rojas, recounted that the Titan appeared to be functioning smoothly before the dive, with only a few bolts securing the dome before they started to dislodge. Despite attempts to reinforce it with additional bolts, the submersible’s structural issues persisted.
Further controversies surrounding the Titan operation emerged, such as reports that the sub was piloted with a PlayStation controller and had its movements tracked on an Excel spreadsheet, highlighting serious operational deficiencies. As the public hearing unfolds, more details are expected to come to light regarding the events leading up to the Titan’s disastrous implosion.
OceanGate, the company behind the ill-fated expedition, issued a statement expressing condolences to the families of the victims and confirming their cooperation with the ongoing investigations. The public hearing is scheduled to conclude on Friday, shedding more light on the circumstances surrounding the Titan submersible disaster.
As the revelations continue to unfold, the shocking photo capturing the Titan submersible falling apart two years before its ultimate implosion serves as a stark reminder of the risks inherent in deep-sea exploration and the crucial importance of prioritising safety and rigorous engineering standards in such ventures.