Missing Titanic Submarine

Ross Kemp was going to make a documentary last year on the Titanic including taking a trip in the Titan. When his production company investigated they had concerns about the safety of the submersible and decided not to proceed.

Ocean Gate would not submit the Titan for safety tests and it had no certificates as other responsible submersible have. They got away with it as it was in international waters. Actually they didn’t get away with it finally. Those who travelled on it previously are thanking their lucky stars to be alive. The materials used in its construction were unstable and likely to deteriorate over time.

How can the man, aged 77, and recognised as the foremost authority on Titanic be accused of being a thrill seeker?

Allsorts
As it stands there is no statutory body to ban this industry

I wasn’t being callous or unfeeling tickingbird and how you can equate it with plane travel or a car accident is beyond me May I also say I was not feigning concern I said right at the start of this thread that I thought it was a foolhardy thing to do

I feel extremely sorry for the families left behind I feel great compassion for the young boy that died when he actually is reported as not wanting to go I am certainly NOT a callous person in any way

I totally echo what Monica has said (much better put than me) they weren’t explorers they were thrill seekers they were warned by others that there were concerns about the submersible , they signed more than one disclaimer knowing how dangerous it was and it’s very unfortunate that all the people giving these warnings were not heeded

It’s sad for everyone connected but their chose their destiny for a brief window of hedonism The tragedy is they took a young boy, before he has even started in life, with them.

tickingbird you are confusing people who move the world forward with their efforts, using their brains and courage to make discoveries and develop technology that directly and indirectly benefits us all.

These men were tourists out for a ride for a limited view through a tiny porthole of a wreck that can be viewed far better in safety in the films taken by remotely operated vehicles.

Nothing about this exploit moved science forward one jot.

tickingbird

So wrong MayBee. Three of them were world leaders in the field. The only ones that weren’t recognised experts were the father and son.

They weren’t engineers though, with the possible exception of the man who owned the company and his engineering knowledge seemed to include an attitude of ignoring safety regulations.

World renowned experts are now querying the sanity of it, written evidence of concerns beforehand, which were ignored apparently, there will have to be an inquiry, dare say such missions will be banned anyway now.

So wrong MayBee. Three of them were world leaders in the field. The only ones that weren’t recognised experts were the father and son.

But racing drivers, astronauts, arctic explorers and test drivers have an in depth knowledge of the activity they’re taking part in. Most of the people in Titan were just people paying to go on a trip to the bottom of the ocean. And James Cameron said he would never have visited the wreck in Titan which he believed to be unsafe.

tickingbird

Germanshepherdsmum

Heroism? Those who tried to rescue them were the heroes

What heroism was displayed in the rescue attempt? People were on ships operating remote control vehicles. Nobody risked their life in any way..

Well said, zero lives were put at risk during the rescue attempts - so, whilst admirable, its hardly heroic.

Try telling that to racing drivers, test pilots, astronauts, mountaineers, arctic explorers. How boring and sterile life would be without them.

Just to add there’s no proof yet that there was anything faulty with the craft. James Cameron went to the wreck 30 times and made an awful lot of money from the resulting film. The owners of OceanGate hadn’t even made a profit yet.

I see a lot of unpleasantness on here which has begun very quickly now these men are dead and from some who were feigning concern whilst there fate was unknown.

We need explorers, adventurers and pioneers, they have shaped the world

Yes I agree, but we do not need thrill seeking voyeurs prepared to pay enormous amounts of money, which merely funds more research into building more of these richmen's toys and paying their owner. Nothing of any intellectual or scientific value comes from stunts like this.

Remote operated vehicles can collect the data needed for research far better than manned vehicles. These dives are done from vanity, hubris and one man upmanship.

An enormous amount of money has been spent by governments and rescue organisations running the search and non-rescue operation mounted after this vehicle went missing. Families have been torn apart, children have lost their fathers, one woman has lost her husband and son. For what? For an expensive thrill.

No not their fault the equipment wasn’t up to the job but they would have all been made aware of how dangerous the 2•5 mile journey to the bottom of the Atlantic could be and were prepared to take the risk. According to a previous passenger they would have signed a waiver that mentioned risk of death three times. Very sad how things turned out for them, conditions on board must have been pretty awful on the way down in such a tiny vessel. I feel for those they’ve left behind.

I’m with GrannyGravy- we need explorers, adventurers and pioneers, they have shaped the world.
It was a dreadful accident, one predicted by some and will lead to greater caution and risk assessment.
I feel particularly sorry for the mother of the 19year old, now a widow who also lost her son. crazyH I read the 19 year old wasn’t enthusiastic but went to please his father. I sincerely hope no one adds to that mother’s pain by criticising her for ‘not putting a stop to him going with his father

At 19 years old, just finished his first year at University he made the decision to join his father.

Why didn’t the 19 yearold’s mother put a stop to him going with his Father ? Surely, she would have voiced her concerns?

I agree. It was irresponsible to take a 19 year old on that trip knowing the danger was very real.
You can't equate this with a plane journey as you don't have to sign to say you are aware there is a risk of death.

This was the fourth time that the Titan submersible had visited the wreckage of The Titanic.

Explorers, adventurers and pioneers have shaped the modern world.

It was dreadful accident and I hold the deceased and their loved ones in my prayers.

Everyone on the craft knew it was risky. I understand the danger of dying was mentioned three times in the contract they signed.

These people, excepting the young man, knew exactly what the dangers were, but of course believed that it wouldn't happen to them.

I wouldn't use the word 'fault' but perhaps replace it with 'responsibility'. Concerns about the craft they went underwater in were generally known, they must have known them and, yes, the father is responsible for the death of his son, for even suggesting they take such a trip together, let alone the emotional pressure of having it happen so close to Father's Day. yes, both irresponsible and unnecessary.

BlueBelle

Totally their fault Norah and the fathers fault for taking his young sons life away Totally irresponsible and unnecessary

Callous and unfeeling post.

BlueBelle

Totally their fault Norah and the fathers fault for taking his young sons life away Totally irresponsible and unnecessary

Callous.
I’m with tickingbird on this.
They didn’t plan to die and the father certainly didn’t intend to kill his son.

If you die in a car crash because you’re driving a car that had failed it’s MOT and the cause of the accident was mechanical failure then, yes, it would be your fault.

BlueBelle

Totally their fault Norah and the fathers fault for taking his young sons life away Totally irresponsible and unnecessary

How callous.

Everyone that’s ever died in a plane crash or any other accident involving a mechanical breakdown is responsible for their fate then?

Totally their fault Norah and the fathers fault for taking his young sons life away Totally irresponsible and unnecessary

I gather people shouldn't walk onto the Arizona, resting place of 1102 dead? Gallipoli? Pyramids? Cambridge Military Cemetery? Dacau?

People are generally respectful.

It's sad these people died. Not their fault, imo.