Latest news with #TitanSubmersible
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
OceanGate CEO heard eerie ‘popping' sounds in doomed Titan sub before fatal implosion
Footage from a Netflix documentary reveals the Titan submersible made "attention-grabbing pops" during a previous test dive. These sounds, heard by OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, were eerie thumps from the carbon fiber hull, indicating tiny fibers snapping under pressure. Rush expressed concern, stating "as long as it doesn't crack, I'm okay," before safely resurfacing from that particular dive. The incident occurred before the fatal implosion on June 18, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of all five passengers onboard. Watch the video in full above.
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- General
- Al Arabiya
Two years on: What the Titan submersible teaches the world about wealth inequality
Two years ago, OceanGate's Titan submersible implosion killed all five men on-board and during that same week, over 600 migrants died off the Greek coast in attempts to reach Europe. While the world reacted to both tragedies with solemnity, there were key differences in how public sentiment received the news of each incident. On-board the Titan submersible was OceanGate's CEO Stockton Rush, British explorer Hamish Harding, veteran French diver Paul Henri Nargeolet, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman. Many people who followed the news at the time can share at least one name or fact about at least one of the Titan submersible passengers. However, it would be surprising if anyone is able to name any man, women or child who died in the migrant shipwreck near Greece. Did a migrant's life cost less than that of individuals who paid $250,000 for their fateful adventure? Is it fair that one tragedy drew more attention than the other? Is it unrealistic to expect an impeccable collective conscience from a world that is doused in imperfections? After all, prominence is one of the key criteria to decide a story's newsworthiness. And a once-in-a-lifetime exploration trip to see the Titanic shipwreck was undeniably notable; however, the death of hundreds of individuals in search of a better life ought to be equally prominent – if not more. All questions aside, the world would be amiss if it did not at least attempt to reflect on some lessons about wealth equality and the costs of human life. If the American tourism and expedition company was treading the line between bravery and carelessness, are we responsible for the way the world has come to earn and celebrate wealth? How much is too much in this cruel game of disparity, where most struggle in desperation while few engage in excessive indulgence? On the contrary, maybe such arguments only arise in hindsight. If the Titan journey was successful, it would have been met with excitement and awe – as the previous two similar journeys were. In that case, should high-budget exploration be deemed irresponsible just for the seemingly unjustified cost? And if yes, then how would humanity continue its pursuits in science and technology, which have at times proven to be extremely beneficial? When we get down to the brass tacks, was it just a matter of ensuring safety and ruling out any negligence? In a philosophical sense, was it mere fate? Is it worth understanding and unpacking layers of what-ifs? Or maybe two years on, is it time to learn what the Titan submersible teaches the world about wealth inequality? A report by the Pew Research Center published in January 2025 outlines the grim state of wealth inequality across the world. Not much about the findings is surprising, but it might be time to concede that things don't need to be how they are. If individuals and civil societies are willing to make changes about their relationships with wealth, then international organizations and nation states are likely to follow suit. That is not to say that the greater responsibility in the grand scheme of things lies on common citizens, but that it is important to remember that people have the agency to affect change – should they make the brave choice to exercise it. Conducted across 36 countries, the Pew Research Center survey finds data to back this call for change, with a majority of responders projecting 'deep global anxieties about the economic future and a strong desire for economic reform.' While 54 percent of people said that economic inequality is a 'very big problem' in their country, 30 percent said it was a 'moderately big problem' – that is over 80 percent people agreeing that it is indeed a problem, irrespective of how big. In financially developed countries such as Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom and the US, a median of 57 percent adults responded that they expect the next generation to be in worse economic standing than their parents. Meanwhile, in some South Asian and Southeast Asian countries including Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, people were more optimistic about their outlook on the economic prospects of their children's generation. A key finding of the study shows that 33 out of the 36 nations polled agree that their country's economic system either needs major changes or a complete reform. This shows that most of us is more likely to believe that wealth inequality needs to be addressed than those who say it is not a problem at all. The discussion probably raises more questions than it answers, which is not the worst thing to jolt a world in need of some active introspection. Because when push comes to shove, money is at the heart of all that happens. The press follows the money. Individuals work around money all their lives. And because nation states chart their path with money in mind, we give rise to poverty, war and injustice - all things that the hundreds of migrants on the fishing boat to Europe were trying to flee.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Viewers of Netflix's Titan OceanGate documentary ‘disturbed' by same scene
Netflix 's new documentary, Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster, explores the events leading up to the fatal implosion of the Titan submersible in June 2023, which killed five people. The documentary has become Netflix's most-streamed title, focusing on OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and the concerns raised about the vessel's safety. A key scene shows Rush dismissing safety concerns, telling passengers, "if you hear an alarm, don't worry about it," which viewers found disturbing. The documentary reveals Rush proceeded with the expedition without third-party classification and includes former marine operations director David Lochridge's concerns about the carbon fibre hull. The Titan suffered a "catastrophic explosion" during its expedition to view the Titanic wreck, killing Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, Hamish Harding, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and Stockton Rush.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Here's the 1 Netflix Movie I Can't Wait to Watch in June 2025
Two years ago, the world was gripped by the story of the Titan submersible disaster, in which an unregulated undersea vessel was crushed during an attempt to visit the wreckage of the Titanic. Everyone on board the vessel was lost, including Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet and Stockton Rush, the pilot of the Titan and the CEO of its parent company, OceanGate. The story behind this tragic event is told in Titan: The OceanGate Disaster, a new documentary coming this month. It's also my pick for the one Netflix movie I can't wait to watch in June. These events played out in the public eye in June 2023, but the backstory of Rush and his apparent disregard for the dangers involved are part of the film's primary focus. Missing Titanic Submarine Pilot Is Married to Descendent of Shipwreck's Victims Director Mark Monroe spends a good deal of time unraveling Stockton Rush, a man whose dreams of fame were only truly achieved by his death and by the way it happened. The people who worked alongside — and for — Rush describe him as someone who wanted to be known as the next Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk. He was also, by his own words, less than concerned about the safety of his company's activities. The portrait of Rush that emerges in Titan: The OceanGate Disaster isn't very flattering, as he refused all warnings and silenced all whistleblowers who tried in vain to rein him in before it was too late. In the trailer above, one of the documentary participants says that Rush was "a borderline psychopath" who was impossible to manage as the boss of his own company. He paid the price for his hubris, but he wasn't the only one. This question is explored at length in the documentary itself, but the short answer is that Rush opted to have the Titan constructed with materials that weren't meant to be used for a deep-sea submersible vessel. There's a reason why there aren't many underwater excursions to the Titanic's wreck. It's nearly 3,800 meters beneath the surface of the ocean, and that's a depth that the Titan could only reach so many times before it imploded from the pressure. James Cameron Reacts to Titan Submersible Tragedy: 'I'm Struck by the Similarity of the Titanic Disaster Itself' There are several pictures and video clips of the Titan itself in this documentary, and you may be horrified to learn that Rush and his other pilots controlled the vessel's movements with an off-the-shelf video game controller. Rush catered the Titan to wealthy tourists, but some of them were understandably horrified by how unsafe the vessel appeared to be. That response may have saved their lives. No. For the most part, the film's focus is on Rush and the creation of the Titan and the origin of OceanGate. There's always room for more documentaries about the other victims in the future, but almost everything about this event centers on Rush himself. It seems inevitable that someone will make a scripted movie about Rush in the future. For now, Titan: The OceanGate Disaster may be the definitive word on what happened. Titan: The OceanGate Disaster will stream on Netflix on June 11.
CBC
10-06-2025
- General
- CBC
6 revelations about the Titan sub disaster and its ill-fated dive
The implosion of OceanGate's Titan submersible stunned the world. On June 18, 2023, five people were lost in the deep Atlantic, more than 3,000 metres below the surface: OceanGate CEO and founder Stockton Rush, Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British billionaire Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and Dawood's 19-year-old son, Suleman. But while the incident captivated global attention and sparked a media frenzy, many key details remained obscured beneath speculation and sensational headlines. In the days that followed, questions multiplied: How could such a tragedy happen on a high-profile expedition? What safety protocols were in place? Was the design of Titan intrinsically unsafe? The real story of what happened was revealed months later in the United States Coast Guard's public hearing, part of an extensive investigation that included testimony from witnesses, former OceanGate employees and submersible experts. The hearing painted a sobering picture of the events leading up to the disaster, highlighting a series of decisions and oversights that made the tragedy seem not just possible, but predictable. Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster, a documentary from The Nature of Things, follows the investigation. Titan's carbon-fibre hull wasn't fully proven Titan flew in the face of industry convention, featuring a 6.7-metre-long carbon-fibre hull. The material isn't approved for certified deep-diving submersibles, but this didn't stop OceanGate from testing its unconventional design — and Rush from touting its strength. "Carbon fibre in subsea vehicles is really the right substance to use," he says in archival footage featured in Implosion. "It's three times better on a strength to buoyancy basis than titanium — the next best thing. So our hull is going to be positively buoyant, which is what you want in a submersible." Between 2021 and 2021, the sub reached nearly 4,000 metres below the surface multiple times. "Stockton Rush had 13 successful dives down to the Titanic depth. So, in theory, he did prove his concept," says U.S. Coast Guard investigator Kate Williams in the documentary. But while the sub's initial performance may have contributed to a sense of security both within the company and among those eager to be a part of this new frontier, not everyone was convinced. Contractor Tym Catterson, who served as a safety diver for OceanGate, is one industry expert who disagreed with Rush's choice of material over the usual titanium or steel. "Hardly anybody in the public is familiar with carbon fibre. It's stable — all the way up until this magic point that it is not," he says in the film. "When it finally pops, it will catastrophically fail." "Their sub was there. And then it was not." 3 days ago Duration 2:54 Early test dives were concerning In 2019, OceanGate chose Great Abaco island in the Bahamas as a site for early full-depth test dives. The Bahamian continental shelf plunges rapidly into deep ocean, making it one of the few places in the world where Titanic-depth waters are relatively close to shore. This strategy allowed the team to test the submersible in deep conditions without the cost and logistical burden of travelling far out to sea. However, these early dives revealed significant structural concerns. "When the first hull failed," Catterson says, "they went through and sanded it all out, and saw that there was a crack that went all the way. It went virtually the whole length of the hull." Reconstruction began in 2020, but despite the catastrophic failure, the hull was once again built out of carbon fibre. Hull warnings were ignored During a dive in July 2022, the sub's occupants heard a loud bang as Titan surfaced from the depths. The acoustic data suggested there had been a structural change happening deep inside the carbon-fibre cylinder. "I brought up the possibility of delamination," says Antonella Wilby, a remote operated vehicle–expert and former OceanGate contractor featured in Implosion. "I asked [Rush], 'Are you going to keep diving the sub?' And he said, 'Yeah, we'll do the next mission, and then we'll visually inspect it when we get back.'" "A delamination is essentially a parting of the carbon fibre," Williams explains. "When they heard this loud bang, there should have been, 'All stop, do not continue, investigate further.'" Instead, three more dives took place during the 2022 season. Titan was 'off the regulatory radar' Unlike most conventional submersibles, Titan was not registered or certified in any country to make sure it met safety standards. According to reporting from CBC News, OceanGate explained why it did not submit its vessels to a certification process in a 2019 blog post, which has since been removed. "Bringing an outside entity up to speed on every innovation before it is put into real-world testing is anathema to rapid innovation," the post read. But rapid innovation may not have been OceanGate's sole motivation. "One reason to not register is to make sure that no one, from a regulatory standpoint, is monitoring your operations," says U.S. Coast Guard chief investigator Jason Neubauer in the documentary. "How can somebody operate in a public manner yet still be off the regulatory radar? … that is definitely part of the investigation." 'Mission specialists' not passengers One of the more revealing details to emerge from the hearing was that OceanGate called its clients "mission specialists" rather than passengers. These individuals — paying $250,000 US per dive — were said to be playing a role in OceanGate's underwater exploration. But according to people involved in past operations, they were only given minor tasks to complete before and during dives. "I didn't do any of the, what I would say critical items," says past mission specialist and businessman Alfred Hagen in testimony shown in the film. "A 'mission specialist' was definitely something that was created by OceanGate to give the perception … that these were really crew members, when in fact they were paying passengers," says Neubauer. Submersible pilot and designer Karl Stanley, who went on one of Titan's first crewed deep-water dives, testified that framing customers as part of the operational team allowed OceanGate to avoid the more stringent safety requirements that would have applied if they were recognized as fare-paying passengers. Pushing boundaries became the norm The U.S. Coast Guard's public hearing not only provided insight into what happened on Titan's final dive, it also exposed a pattern of risk-taking at OceanGate that, over time, became normalized. In archival footage featured in Implosion, Rush positions himself as a fearless disruptor. "When you're trying something outside the box, people inside the box think you're nuts," he says in one clip. "Same thing when Elon Musk was doing SpaceX inside the box. Everything's scary." In some ways, OceanGate's model was a reflection of the broader tech world ethos: move fast and redefine boundaries. But in the unforgiving world of deep-sea exploration, nature doesn't compromise. Pressure at Titanic depths is absolute and the margin for error is zero. Innovation in this domain requires not just boldness, but rigorous checks, third-party accountability, and a culture of safety embedded at every level. The final report from the investigation is still pending, but the emerging picture is clear: when ambition outpaces oversight, even the most promising visions can descend into catastrophe.
