You may remember the Titanic expedition that ended in tragedy last year, resulting in the deaths
of all five explorers. Recently, the family of Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a French explorer who died in
the Titan submersible implosion during its failed mission to explore the Titanic wreckage, has
filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against OceanGate Expeditions, the submersible’s manufacturer.
Nargeolet, known for his expertise on the Titanic and nicknamed “Mr. Titanic,” was hired to
assist OceanGate on the ill-fated mission.
The lawsuit, filed in King County, Washington State, USA, accuses OceanGate and its founder,
Richard Stockton Rush III, of misleading Nargeolet about the submersible’s construction. It
claims Rush admitted to using outdated carbon fiber from Boeing and that a “crackling noise”
marketed as a safety feature was actually a sign of potential failure.
On June 18, 2023, about 90 minutes after the submersible with its five crew members began its
descent into the North Atlantic Ocean to explore the Titanic wreck, it dropped its weights,
signaling that the mission was aborted, according to the lawsuit. Investigators said the
submersible’s carbon fiber and titanium structure collapsed under the extreme ocean pressure
during the dive. The exact cause of the implosion is still unknown. Hamish Harding, Suleman
Dawood, and his father, Shahzada Dawood, along with Richard Stockton Rush III, also died in
the incident.
The suit, seeking over $50 million, is the first filed against OceanGate related to the implosion. It
also argues that the waiver crew members signed was insufficient in disclosing the risks.
OceanGate has suspended operations following the tragedy, which occurred on June 18, 2023.
The cause of the implosion remains under investigation, and there are calls for stricter
international regulations for deep-sea exploration.
