Coast Guard report: OceanGate Titan implosion was 'preventable'

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Rear Admiral John W. Mauger of the Coast Guard briefs the media on the search for the Titan submersible in 2023. The Coast Guard released its findings Tuesday, saying the implosion that killed five people was preventable. File photo by C.J. Gunther/EPA
Aug. 5 (UPI) -- The implosion of the OceanGate submersible Titan in 2023 was "preventable," because of its inadequate design and "toxic" workplace culture, according to a report released by the U.S. Coast Guard Tuesday.
The Titan imploded on June 18, 2023, killing five people. The 335-page report documented the causes of the implosion and listed 17 safety recommendations to strengthen oversight of submersible operations, improve coordination among federal agencies and close gaps in international maritime policy.
All five on the submersible were killed in the implosion. They were OceanGate's founder and CEO, Stockton Rush; British billionaire Hamish Harding; French maritime expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet; Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son, Suleman Dawood.
"The two-year investigation has identified multiple contributing factors that led to this tragedy, providing valuable lessons learned to prevent a future occurrence," said Jason Neubauer, chair of the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation for the Titan. "There is a need for stronger oversight and clear options for operators who are exploring new concepts outside of the existing regulatory framework. I am optimistic the [Report of Investigation's] findings and recommendations will help improve awareness of the risks and the importance of proper oversight while still providing a pathway for innovation."
Titan's imploded wreckage was found on the ocean floor about 1,640 feet off the bow of the Titanic.
The Coast Guard conducted hearings last year to hear testimony from OceanGate employees and others involved in the dive.
OceanGate operations director David Lochridge testified about the business climate at the company and about what he said was Rush's penchant for playing fast and loose with the rules.
Lochridge told the panel that the company's goal was to turn a profit, that OceanGate ignored obvious safety issues, and that "very little" science was involved in carrying out the sub's dives.
OceanGate's former engineering director, Tony Nissen, testified that he was fired because he refused to approve a planned expedition after the submersible was struck by lightning, which compromised its experimental carbon fiber hull.
"Stockton [Rush] would fight for what he wanted and, even if it changed from day to day, he wouldn't give an inch. Most people would eventually back down to Stockton. It was death by a thousand cuts," he testified.
The 21-foot Titan submersible lost contact with the crew of the Polar Prince about 1 hour and 45 minutes into its dive on June 18, 2023. Responders scoured the North Atlantic Ocean, near the wreckage of the Titanic passenger liner that sank in 1912, to find the missing vessel before its oxygen ran out.
The Coast Guard said in September 2024 that the Titan crew sent a message during the fateful dive that "all is well" just before the deadly implosion. It was the final communication from the Titan before the implosion.
Neubauer's listed extensive causes of the disaster and recommendations for future vessels.
"The board determined the primary contributing factors were OceanGate's inadequate design, certification, maintenance and inspection process for the Titan," Neubauer said in the press release announcing the report. "Other factors cited in the report include a toxic workplace culture at OceanGate, an inadequate domestic and international regulatory framework for submersible operations and vessels of novel design, and an ineffective whistleblower process under the Seaman's Protection Act.
"The board also found OceanGate failed to properly investigate and address known hull anomalies following its 2022 Titanic expedition. Investigators determined the Titan's real-time monitoring system generated data that should have been analyzed and acted on during the 2022 Titanic expedition. However, OceanGate did not take any action related to the data, conduct any preventative maintenance or properly store the Titan during the extended off season before its 2023 Titanic expedition."
He went on to list recommendations for further dives, including restrictions on oceanographic research vessels, expanding requirements to all submersibles and requiring Coast Guard documentation for all U.S. submersibles. Neubauer also recommended "adding Coast Guard personnel capacity at Coast Guard Headquarters to support new construction oversight and field inspections involving submersibles and vessels of novel design."
Other recommendations include submitting Coast Guard search and rescue plans, safety requirements, whistleblower agreements and investigative protocols.
In August 2024, Paul Henry Nargeolet's family filed suit demanding OceanGate to pay $50 million for the explorer's wrongful death. The family's lawsuit filed in a court in Seattle accuses OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and others of gross negligence and wrongful death.