Titan Submersible Disaster Could Have Been Prevented, Claims US Coast Guard Report
The 327-page report details a series of technical and procedural failures that were identified well before the doomed expedition.
A new report published by the US Coast Guard on Tuesday has concluded that the fatal Titan submersible disaster could have been avoided, citing critical oversights and ignored safety warnings. The findings, reported by the Associated Press, place primary blame on OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, who allegedly continued operations despite repeated alerts from industry experts and his own staff.
The 327-page report details a series of technical and procedural failures that were identified well before the doomed expedition. It reveals that OceanGate had received numerous recommendations and warnings regarding the structural integrity of the Titan submersible. Experts had expressed serious concerns over the design and materials used.
Despite these concerns, Rush pressed forward with the June 18, 2023, dive, which was intended to explore the Titanic's remains at the bottom of the North Atlantic. The submersible lost communication with its surface support vessel approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes into the descent. After an extensive multi-national search, debris was found on the ocean floor, indicating a catastrophic implosion that instantly killed all five passengers on board.
The victims included OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, British businessman Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman, and renowned French Titanic expert and pilot Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
'In summary, OceanGate repeatedly prioritised operational goals and financial considerations over safety, ignoring warnings from both industry experts and internal staff," stated the Coast Guard report.
Maritime Board of Investigation (MBI) chairman Jason Neubauer noted that if Rush had survived, he could have faced criminal prosecution, potentially resulting in a prison sentence of up to 10 years. The report accuses OceanGate of 'strategically creating and exploiting regulatory confusion" to bypass standard deep-sea safety protocols that have historically ensured a strong safety record in the submersible industry.
In addition to design and engineering flaws, the report highlighted a toxic work culture within OceanGate. Employees who raised safety concerns were reportedly silenced, pressured, or even terminated. Multiple former staff members came forward over the past two years to corroborate the claims.
OceanGate officially suspended operations in July 2023.
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First Published:
August 06, 2025, 05:24 IST
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