Titan operator used 'intimidation tactics' to evade scrutiny
The incident resulted in the deaths of five people in June 2023, including British adventurer Hamish Harding and father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood.
The chief executive of tour operator OceanGate Expeditions, Stockton Rush, and French national Paul-Henri Nargeolet, were also killed in the incident.
The US Coast Guard published a 335-page report in which identified eight "primary causal factors" that led to the fatal implosion.
The report said OceanGate had a "toxic workplace environment" and used the "looming threat of being fired" to prevent staff from coming forward with safety concerns.
It added that analysis revealed a "disturbing pattern of misrepresentation and reckless disregard for safety".
The report criticised OceanGate's design and testing processes and the continued use of the Titan submersible despite "a series of incidents that compromised the integrity of the hull and other critical components".
The tour operator's former director of engineering was reported by the US Coast Guard to have said the first hull used on the Titan submersible was akin to a "high school project".
According to the report, a contractor hired by OceanGate in 2022 voiced "numerous safety concerns" to a company director, before being told: "You have a bad attitude, you don't have an explorer mindset, you know, we're innovative and we're cowboys, and a lot of people can't handle that."
Authored by lead investigator Thomas Whalen and marine board chairman Jason Neubauer, it read: "For several years preceding the incident, OceanGate leveraged intimidation tactics, allowances for scientific operations, and the company's favourable reputation to evade regulatory scrutiny.
"By strategically creating and exploiting regulatory confusion and oversight challenges, OceanGate was ultimately able to operate Titan completely outside of the established deep-sea protocols, which had historically contributed to a strong safety record for commercial submersibles.
"The lack of both third-party oversight and experienced OceanGate employees on staff during their 2023 Titan operations allowed OceanGate's chief executive officer to completely ignore vital inspections, data analyses, and preventative maintenance procedures, culminating in a catastrophic event."
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The Journal
4 hours ago
- The Journal
Debunked: Fox News claims about an Irish crime wave are based on discredited claims and bad stats
A FOX NEWS segment that described Dublin as 'one of the most dangerous cities in Europe' repeats bad stats and debunked claims to argue that immigrants are responsible for a surge in crime. Ireland is consistently rated as one of the safest countries in the world. In a segment decrying immigration and celebrating recent reports that America now has negative net migration – 'that means more people leaving America than are moving here,' explains the host Will Cain – Ireland is cited as an example of immigration's perils. 'Ireland last year [was] seeing its biggest population surge since 2008, largely due to positive net migration. The country has also seen, by the way, a rise in crime,' Cain says. Onscreen three statistics are given, all attributed to the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The first stat says that 2024 saw the largest year-on-year population gain since 2008, with an increase of 98,700. The other stats say robberies in Ireland are up 18% and violent crime is up 10% in Q1 2024 (the first three months of 2024). It does not specify what time period the increase is being compared to. Cain continues: 'It's even more pronounced in the city of Dublin, where murder and assault attempts are surging. This from a city that was one of the safest cities in the world.' Here, a graphic appears onscreen saying that, according to 'Garda, Dublin Metropolitan Region' there was a 114% increase in 'murder/assault attempts' in Dublin in 2024. Again, it does not specify what this figure is being compared to. The host goes on to say that Dublin 'now ranks among the top ten most dangerous cities in Europe.' Two headlines flash onscreen, one saying that Dublin is one of the World's safest cities, while a more recent on says Dublin now ranks in the top ten most dangerous cities in Europe. The host then turns to a guest described as 'British-born author', who laments that Ireland has 'lost control of its borders'. A clip of this segment posted to YouTube on the night of Monday, 4 August, has been viewed more than 33,000 times as of the time of writing. It has also been met with some very justified scepticism , including one in-depth social media post by a user called Danny Boy that calls the piece a 'brazen manipulation of statistics.' So, how do the claims in the Fox News piece add up? The stats Fox starts off by claiming that 2024 saw the largest year-on-year population gain since 2008, with an increase of 98,700. This is true. A release by the CSO last August included the finding, though it should be noted that it actually refers to the 12 months up to April that year . The actual net migration was lower, at 79,300, compared with 77,600 in the previous year. But in any case, the general thrust of what Fox is suggesting here is correct. The same cannot be said for the crime statistics. The other statistics Fox sourced to the CSO are the claims that robberies in Ireland are up 18% and violent crime is up 10% in Q1 2024. However, there is an immediate problem. 'The CSO do not publish incidents by the category of 'violent crime' or 'robberies' alone,' a spokesperson for the CSO wrote to The Journal . 'The coverage you refer to does not reference the correct CSO crime categories or comparative timelines accurately.' In other words, the CSO has to label crimes and group them together under certain labels. But Fox News is not using these labels, making it hard to figure out what they are referring to. One might interpret 'violent crime' as referring to the category 'attempts/threats to murder, assaults, harassments and related offences'. However, compared to the previous quarter , CSO figures show a decrease of about 5%. Compared to the first quarter of 2023, it shows an increase of about 1%, not 10% as Fox said. So, what is Fox News talking about? Tellingly, the '10%' and '18%' figures also appear in a report released by the CSO in June 2024, however they refer to something else.' Advertisement Recorded incidents of Robbery, Extortion & Hijacking offences were up by 18% or 390 to 2,572 in the year to Quarter 1 (Q1) 2024 compared with the same period in 2023,' The CSO report reads. This gives us the timeframe; when Fox News is referring to crime in 2024, they actually mean the period from Q2 of 2023 to the end of Q1 of 2024 (April to March, essentially). While confusingly presented, this is a legitimate way of looking at stats, given Fox's figures for the population increase were also based on the same time period. However, Fox's labels are still very misleading. Would most people know that extortion was counted under 'robberies'? It seems that there is a closer resemblence to the CSO's category of 'Theft and related offences', though looking at this the increase drops more than half, to 8%, when comparing the same periods. On the other hand, the 10% figure comes from somewhere unexpected. 'Crime incidents involving Weapons & Explosives offences were up by 10%,' the CSO release says. This is obviously not the same thing as 'violent crime'. The data on Fox was presented inaccurately. However, aren't we just focussing on details? Isn't the important issue whether crime is increasing at the same time that we are seeing a surge in migration? Is that what the Fox figures indicate? Is that what the CSO stats on crime say? A bigger picture Let's look at the first crime figure cited (badly) by Fox. An 18% increase in recorded incidents of Robbery, Extortion & Hijacking offences in the year to Quarter 1 (Q1) 2024 compared with the same period in 2023. While this is an increase over the year before, it is also essentially in line with the same figures for most years prior to the pandemic. The figures were even higher for every year between Q1 2010 and Q1 2015. You don't need to even go so far back for the second category of crimes cited: 'Weapons & Explosives offences' (misleadingly called 'violent crime' by Fox). In the year up to Q1 2021, there were 6% more of these crimes than the same period up to 2024. In other words, Fox News is suggesting some kind of crime wave happened due to a surge of immigration in 2024. But the same crimes they (inaccurately) cite to make their point were worse in the past. Murder Capital However, what about the claim that there has been a staggering 114% increase in 'murder/assault attempts' in Dublin in 2024? Again, confusingly, there is no such category as 'murder/assault attempts', nor is a time frame given by Fox. If we look at ' homicide offences ' for the region, there were 19 in 2024, 20 in 2023, and 25 in 2022. In other words: homicide offences are decreasing. Another possible category they could be referring to is: 'Attempts/threats to murder, assaults, harassments and related offences'? These rose from 7,838 in 2023 to 8,581 in 2024, an increase of 9%, not 114% Nor does there seem to be a reasonable way to come up with such a large increase. (The online critique by Danny Boy suggests Fox are citing a right-wing website that used 2003 figures as a comparison). It might also be noted that it is odd for a news show in America to express horror at the crime statistics in Ireland when the homicide rate in America is multiple times that of Ireland. 'Most dangerous city' Finally, what about the claim on Fox News that Dublin 'now ranks among the top ten most dangerous cities in Europe.' The Journal previously debunked this claim in March after it was widely shared on social media, including by Conor McGregor. The headline about Dublin being one of the most dangerous cities in Europe was ultimately based on a website that ranks crime 'derived from surveys conducted by visitors to our website,' rather than from facts. 'There is absolutely no assurance that any statement contained on the website is correct or precise,' that site disclaims. However, as with other figures cited by Fox, a factual basis did not stop the claim from being aired. While comparing crime rates across countries is difficult, Ireland is consistently ranked as one of the safest countries in Europe and, by extension, the world. Want to be your own fact-checker? Visit our brand-new FactCheck Knowledge Bank for guides and toolkits The Journal's FactCheck is a signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network's Code of Principles. You can read it here . For information on how FactCheck works, what the verdicts mean, and how you can take part, check out our Reader's Guide here . You can read about the team of editors and reporters who work on the factchecks here . Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... It is vital that we surface facts from noise. Articles like this one brings you clarity, transparency and balance so you can make well-informed decisions. We set up FactCheck in 2016 to proactively expose false or misleading information, but to continue to deliver on this mission we need your support. Over 5,000 readers like you support us. If you can, please consider setting up a monthly payment or making a once-off donation to keep news free to everyone. Learn More Support The Journal
Sunday World
7 hours ago
- Sunday World
Ex-IRA man flees US after 40 years over deportation fears
'There is nothing to stop them from deporting me to Ecuador, South Sudan, or whatever' A former IRA member who had been living in the US for 40 years has 'self-deported' back to Ireland over fears that he might be picked up by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Derry man Matthew Morrison whose previous deportation proceedings were terminated during the Clinton administration, took a one-way flight back to Dublin in July. 'I would bite the dust in an ICE holding cell,' the 69-year-old told The Marshall Project - St Louis before he left the US. 'There is nothing to stop them from deporting me to Ecuador, South Sudan, or whatever. Morrison with his American wife Sandra Riley Swift News in 90 Seconds - Aug 8th "It's really gotten insane here. It's crazy what they are doing now, the Trump administration. You know what I mean?' According to Irish Central, Morrison, who is from the Brandywell in Derry, was 16 years old when he marched in the civil rights demonstration on Bloody Sunday in 1970. Morrison described how Bloody Sunday when British soldiers opened fire on unarmed civilians, killing 13 people, was a "watershed moment of great significance" which has played a part in him join the Irish Republican Army. As a student at the New University of Ulster in 1975, he and two other students were arrested, charged, and convicted in a British non-jury court of the attempted murder of an RUC man. He served ten years of 20 year prison sentence in Long Kesh, where he was one of the highest-ranking members of the IRA. While in prison he corresponded with American woman Francie Broderick and when he was released in 1985 they married a week later. After having two children together they were divorced, and Morrison later remarried to another American woman, Sandra Riley Swift. He remained based in Missouri, where he worked as a nurse for the next 20 years. Morrison who wrote in in 1993 how he no longer had any connection with the armed struggle in Ireland, added that should he and his family be forced to return, they would face "significant danger." In the summer of 2000, Morrison was among the six Irish nationals who had their deportation proceedings terminated by US Attorney General Janet Reno in the wake of the Good Friday Accord. . The move was welcomed by then-US President Bill Clinton, who said: "While in no way approving or condoning their past criminal acts, I believe that removing the threat of deportation for these individuals will contribute to the peace process in Northern Ireland." However, he was not permitted to apply for a green card or US citizenship, and in June attended a scheduled check-in with US Citizenship and Immigration Services in St Louis. After stories emerged of immigrants being arrested at such check-ins, Morrison's son Matt (37) told The Marshall Project: 'We were terrified that they were just going to take him right there. Matt added: 'He has to live under that fear of somebody knocking on the door and dragging him out of the house, just like they did in Derry when he was young. 'I hate it. I am just worried about him. Until recently, I hadn't heard him cry about it.' At the appointment, Morrison was photographed and was free to go but with his work authorisation set to expire in October, he boarded a one-way flight from Cleveland to Dublin on July 21, with his wife. Leaving behind his grown children, his grandchildren, and the life he had built in the US, he told The Marshall Project: 'I've come full circle. 'I came here as an immigrant, and I am leaving as an immigrant, despite everything in between. "The whole thing is a crazy, stressful situation.'
The Irish Sun
10 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Neighbours of Brit grandad who ‘attempted to drown' daughter-in-law say she WAS his ‘girlfriend' as they reveal shock
The British grandad denied to cops that he was in a relationship with his daughter-in-law POOL 'ATTACK' Neighbours of Brit grandad who 'attempted to drown' daughter-in-law say she WAS his 'girlfriend' as they reveal shock FRIENDS of a British grandad accused of trying to drown his daughter-in-law have told of their shock at his attempted murder charge. Neighbours revealed how Mark Gibbon, 62, would "often" have his alleged victim Jasmine Wyld - who locals described as his "girlfriend" - "staying with him". Advertisement 5 Gibbon and Wyld have been pictured together on several occasions Credit: Facebook 5 Gibbon has been charged with the attempted murder of his daughter-in-law Credit: Polk County Sheriff's Office/PA Wire 5 Wyld shares two children with Gibbon's son Alex Credit: Facebook Divorced Gibbon was arrested last week after allegedly forcing Wyld's head under the water in a pool at a Florida resort during a spat about his will. Lighting technician Gibbon, who has worked with pop stars like Ed Sheeran and once helped make the late Queen Elizabeth's Christmas TV broadcast, is rumoured to have been dating Wyld - his son's ex. Both Gibbon and Wyld, 33, denied to police that they were romantically involved with each other. But neighbours of Gibbon's £800,000 semi-detached home in the posh Buckinghamshire market town of Beaconsfield openly referred to Wyld as Gibbon's girlfriend. Advertisement They also expressed their horror at the arrest of the grandad -who they said "kept himself to himself" - over the alleged attempted murder of Wyld. One neighbour said: "Everybody is shocked by this." A woman living next door refused to give her name but said she was good friends with the mum-of-two. She told The Sun: "I'd never have imagined this might happen. Advertisement "Jasmine used to stay here a lot with the children. But I don't want to say much more because she is a friend of mine." Gibbon's large brick-built semi-detached house was empty today with two vans and silver Skoda car parked outside. Moment drunk Brit pensioner, 66, is left with broken arm after getting into fight with Thai bar girl & being thrown to ground There was a statue of Buddha by the front door, along with two stickers saying 'Smile you're on camera'. Net curtains covered the windows. John Atkinson, 81, who lives across the road, said he was shocked at the situation. Advertisement He said: "It's very difficult to countenance that Mark was trying to kill Jasmine. "Jasmine was often staying with him along with his grandchildren. "She always struck me as quite a cheerful character.' It comes after a rift between Gibbon and his son Alex - Wyld's ex-husband - emerged. Advertisement Hairdresser Wyld separated from Alex, who she shares two children with, in 2021. Just two years after they separated, Alex, 34, was jailed for trying to run over his dad in a £80,000 Porsche Cayenne in Beaconsfield. As well as assaulting his father, Alex also pleaded guilty to harassing ex-wife Wyld. Alex was sentenced at Aylesbury Crown Court to 25 months in jail, a 36-month disqualification from driving, a five-year restraining order, plus a surcharge. Advertisement 5 Jasmine Wyld, 33, and Mark Gibbon, 62, were understood to be in a relationship Credit: Facebook 5 Wyld claims Gibbon tried to drown her in Florida Credit: Facebook The dad was released from jail around six months ago and went to move in with his mum, who had divorced Gibbon some years earlier. Alex and his father also became embroiled in a public row in 2023 after Alex left his dad's business for an unknown reason. Advertisement It is understood the pair no longer speak. Gibbon is being held in Polk County Jail - and both he and Wyld denied to cops that they were in a relationship. A detective asked Gibbon and mum-of-two Wyld "about their relationship to determine if the incident would be classified as domestic violence". Gibbon is due in court next week over the attempted murder charge levelled against him, and another hearing is set for September for his arraignment on two battery charges. Advertisement He and Wyld were on holiday at the Solterra Resort in Devenport, near Disney World, Florida with Wyld's two children - Gibbon's grandkids - when the row over his will erupted, police say. The pair were arguing when Gibbon allegedly push Wyld's head "under the water and held her down multiple times". She claimed she "could not breathe" and "believed she was going to drown". Police say Wyld was forced to "fight Mark in order to get away from him and from under the water but he kept pushing her back under". Advertisement Her nine-year-old daughter then leapt to her mother's defence but was pushed away by Gibbon, it is claimed. Gibbon is alleged to have stopped when two women dialled 911. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said after his arrest: 'Because Mr Gibbon couldn't control his anger, he may find himself spending a lot more time in Florida than he had anticipated.' When questioned, Gibbon is claimed to have admitted to pushing Jasmine underwater, but insisted he hadn't been trying to drown her. Advertisement The case is now being handled by the prosecutor's office.
