- An unfortunate incident occurred during a submersible dive organized by OceanGate, resulting in the tragic loss of all 5 passengers.
- In 2019, Karl Stanley, an expert in submersibles, expressed concern to OceanGate’s CEO about the need for additional tests.
- According to emails shared with Insider, Stanley suggested to the CEO that conducting 50 tests would be ideal.
Approximately four years prior to the implosion of OceanGate’s Titan submersible during a dive to the Titanic shipwreck, Karl Stanley, a submersible expert who had experienced the vessel, warned the company’s CEO about the need for more testing.
In April 2019, Karl Stanley, who operates his own deep-sea exploration company in Honduras, embarked on a 12,000-foot dive inside the Titan off the coast of the Bahamas. During the two-hour dive, he reported hearing a significant cracking sound.
Stanley shared his concerns with OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, highlighting the discovery of a “hull area that is breaking down,” according to emails initially reported by The New York Times.
In subsequent emails obtained by Insider, Rush reassured Stanley that the issue was being investigated and showed improvement. However, he acknowledged the need for more data, stating that “having data from two full operating depth dives does not provide a sufficient validation trend.”
Rush mentioned plans for additional dives, aiming for “as many as 5,” to gather more acoustic data.
Stanley responded with further thoughts, expressing his belief that 2-7 dives to operating depth were insufficient for launching an expedition of selling high-priced tickets in the middle of the ocean. Stanley referenced his own experience, suggesting that conducting 50 tests would be a good indicator.
Tickets to visit the Titanic shipwreck on the Titan submersible cost up to $250,000.
Stanley drew a parallel between his vessel, C-BUG (Controlled Buoyancy Underwater Glider), which underwent 50 tests, and the Titan. He expressed concern about a potential defect in the Titan’s hull and questioned whether it would fail catastrophically or not.
Rush acknowledged the need for more tests but disagreed with conducting 50 dives, dismissing the analogy to parachute training. He stated that it may take 2 or 20 dives to obtain the necessary data.
Stanley defended his suggestion, based on his experience and approval from other experts, calling it a “good indicator.”
In a final message to Rush, Stanley expressed his belief that pushing ahead with dives to the Titanic would not be due to financial pressures but rather self-imposed pressures and ego-driven attempts to achieve the seemingly impossible.
OceanGate’s CEO Received Prior Warnings about Submersible Safety
OceanGate began offering tours to the Titanic shipwreck in 2021, using the Titan submersible to transport customers to the ocean floor for journeys lasting up to 10 hours. These tours attracted customers, including billionaires and Titanic enthusiasts, who were charged $250,000 per person.
On June 18, the Titan went missing during its third annual expedition. The US Coast Guard confirmed that debris found indicated the submersible imploded due to a “catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber.” The implosion occurred approximately 1,600 feet away from the Titanic shipwreck.
In addition to Karl Stanley’s warnings, OceanGate’s CEO had also received prior safety concerns from other experts. In 2018, a company executive reported that the Titan’s system had limitations in detecting hull flaws. The executive was terminated soon after filing a report. The same year, the Marine Technology Society expressed unanimous concern about the experimental approach taken with the Titan.
In 2021, Rush admitted to breaking some rules by constructing the submersible with carbon fiber instead of traditional materials like steel or titanium. He justified his decision as a means of innovation in the industry. Rush’s actions reflect his desire to challenge conventional norms, as he had previously stated in an interview.
Rush, along with British billionaire Hamish Harding, wealthy French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and British-Pakistani multimillionaire Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman, tragically lost their lives on the Titan during the incident.
An OceanGate spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment sent during the weekend.
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