Safety concerns about the Titan submarine that imploded in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean with five people on board have been revealed in a number of scathing reports.
The US Coast Guard announced during a Thursday press conference that the missing Titan’s pressure chamber was found among other debris, approximately 1600 feet from the bow of the Titanic on the sea floor by an ROV. In a statement to The Independent, OceanGate — the private company that offers the $250,000-a-seat expedition to the wreck of the Titanic — confirmed that the five passengers aboard the vessel are now believed dead.
But before boarding submarines from OceanGate, travellers were warned in a contract that “it has not been approved or certified by any regulatory body, and could result in physical injury, disability, motion trauma, or death”.
The disclaimer is part of a long list of concerns regarding the company’s safety record, as its crew remains unaccounted for with air rapidly running out.
Follow the latest updates on the missing Titan submarine here.
A lawsuit, a letter from industry leaders, and comments from the company’s own CEO, one of the missing crewmen, all pointed to potential issues with the Titan submersible.
In 2018, the company fired David Lochridge, OceanGate’s director of marine operations. They claimed he breached his contract and shared confidential information about its designs with two individuals as well as with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
However,...
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