Latest news with #preventabletragedy
The Guardian
4 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
US Coast Guard releases report calling Titan disaster a ‘preventable tragedy'
Inadequate safety practices, deliberate efforts to avoid oversight and a 'toxic workplace culture' were among the factors that led to the 2023 implosion of the Titan submersible, the US Coast Guard has said in a new, damning report that described the disaster as a 'preventable tragedy'. The submersible was on a commercial voyage to explore the wreck of the Titanic when it disappeared in the Atlantic, leading to the deaths of all five people on board. The ensuing search captured headlines around the world for days as it evolved from a potential rescue mission to a recovery operation. On Tuesday, US Coast Guard investigators released their final report, spanning more than 300 pages, after a two-year investigation. What emerged was a scathing portrait of the company operating the Titan, OceanGate, and its CEO, Stockton Rush, who was among those who died. Based on hearings involving more than two dozen people, including former employees, the report paints a picture of OceanGate as a company where employees were threatened with dismissal and belittled for raising concerns about safety. The result was a culture of downplaying, ignoring and even falsifying key safety information to improve its reputation and evade scrutiny from regulators. 'OceanGate's toxic safety culture, corporate structure, and operational practices were critically flawed and at the core of these failures were glaring disparities between their written safety protocols and their actual practices,' the report noted. 'For several years preceding the incident, OceanGate leveraged intimidation tactics, allowances for scientific operations, and the company's favourable reputation to evade regulatory scrutiny.' Investigators found the Titan's design, certification, maintenance and inspection process were all inadequate. 'This marine casualty and the loss of five lives was preventable,' said Jason Neubauer, the chairman of the Coast Guard's Marine Board of Investigation, in a statement. Employees told investigators Rush would often bypass established protocols and ignore the concerns of experienced employees and contractors. 'The cumulative effect was an authoritarian and toxic culture where safety was not only deprioritised but actively suppressed,' the report noted. 'This toxic environment, characterised by retaliation and belittling against those who expressed safety concerns combined with a lack of external oversight, set the stage for the Titan's ultimate demise.' The report cited mounting financial pressures in 2023 as being behind a decision made by OceanGate to store the Titan submersible outdoors over the Canadian winter. 'During this time, the submersible was not covered or protected from the environmental elements, subjecting it to precipitation and repeated freeze-thaw cycles,' it said, likely leading to further degradation of the hull's structural integrity. Investigators concluded Rush had 'exhibited negligence' that contributed to the deaths of four people. Had Rush survived, the case would have likely ended up at the US Department of Justice and he might have been subjected to criminal charges, the report noted. In addition to Rush, the implosion killed the French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, the British adventurer Hamish Harding and British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son, Suleman. OceanGate then wound down operations and focused its resources on cooperating with investigators, a company spokesperson said on Tuesday. In a statement, he added: 'We again offer our deepest condolences to the families of those who died on 18 June 2023, and to all those impacted by the tragedy.' OceanGate began ferrying dozens of paying customers and researchers to the site scattered with debris from the Titanic in 2021, characterising the voyages as part of an ambitious push to foster deep-sea tourism. Last year, the family of Nargeolet filed a wrongful death lawsuit seeking more than $50m amid accusations that the 'doomed submersible' had a 'troubled history', and that OceanGate had failed to disclose crucial facts about the vessel and its durability. Neubauer expressed optimism that the investigation would help to prevent future tragedies. 'There is a need for stronger oversight and clear options for operators who are exploring new concepts outside of the existing regulatory framework,' he said. That view was echoed by the Dawood family. 'No report can alter the heartbreaking outcome, nor fill the immeasurable void left by two cherished members of our family,' they said in a statement. 'We believe that accountability and regulatory change must follow such a catastrophic failure.' The hope was that the tragedy would mark a turning point for the submersible industry, the family added. 'If Shahzada and Suleman's legacy can be a catalyst for regulatory change that helps prevent such a loss from ever happening again, it will bring us some measure of peace.'
Daily Mail
25-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Adorable boy, 3, killed after being left in hot car by SOCIAL SERVICES WORKER who was supposed to care for him
A three-year-old boy died after a social services worker left him in a hot car for five hours, according to police. KeTorrius Starkes Jr. was found unresponsive inside the car outside the worker's house in Alabama on Tuesday, after he had reportedly been left there between 12.30pm and 5.30pm. The boy was still in his fastened car seat in the vehicle, which was off and had the windows rolled up, officials said. He was declared dead about 30 minutes after he was found. The temperature inside the car likely exceeded 150 degrees, according to his family. KeTorrius, nicknamed KJ, was in the care of a Department of Human Resources contract worker who was supposed to take him back to day care after a supervised visit with his father, KeTorrius Starkes Sr. Instead of returning the child to day care, the worker, who has not been identified, stopped at a grocery store and tobacco shop before returning to their house, according to a lawyer hired by Starkes Sr. 'A heartbreaking and preventable tragedy,' attorney Courtney French told ABC News. 'Based upon a preliminary investigation, with the current extreme outside temperatures and the heat index of 108 degrees, the interior temperature of the car where KJ was trapped likely exceeded 150 degrees.' The employee was terminated after the child's death, the Alabama Department of Human Resources said. 'The provider has terminated their employee. Due to confidentiality, DHR cannot comment further regarding the identity of the child or the exact circumstances,' the agency said in a statement. It's not clear why the boy had been living with a temporary foster family. KJ's family called for the employee to be face further consequences. His aunt Brittney Johnson said his death was caused by 'neglect.' 'I feel personally that he was neglected and that's the true cause of his death,' she told Local 12. Starkes Sr spoke to the press about his son and said: '[He] knew how to count, knew his colors three years old, knew all the animals. I'm talking about he was very intelligent. He was just joyful.' Meanwhile, several Alabama politicians issued statements in support of the boy's family. 'As a mother and as the Senator for the district where this tragedy happened, I am devastated by the death of little KeTorrius Starks Jr.,' state senator Merika Coleman said, as reported by CBS42. 'We need answers, and we may need to examine state law to make sure this never happens again. My prayers are with his family.' reached out to the Birmingham Police Department about whether the worker could face criminal charges.
CTV News
09-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Vancouver Island family hopes son's preventable death can motivate meaningful changes to healthcare
The parents of a young Vancouver Island boy who died in hospital are calling for urgent systemic changes. The parents of a young Vancouver Island boy who died in hospital are calling for urgent systemic changes. Eleven-year-old Brayden Robbins, described as vibrant and active, died as a result of excess fluid and a bleed on his brain last November. The Comox boy's family says the tragedy was entirely preventable. 'We do not want any other child to suffer like Brayden did,' his mother, Nikki Robbins, told CTV Tuesday. Robbins, a nurse of 25 years, wants changes to the healthcare system that she says failed her son. The recommended changes include better training and staffing levels in pediatric medicine, and family centred care that involves healthcare workers listening to the advocacy of children's families. 'I have dedicated my whole career to improving healthcare and trying to make it better, and here I am as a family member who has been a part of a healthcare system that has failed,' said Robbins. Brayden was born with mild cerebral palsy and had a series of brain surgeries that allowed him to live an active, regular life. OnNov. 12, when he suddenly developed tingling in his face, severe head and neck pain and a tilted head, he was taken to Comox Valley Hospital. Despite his symptoms and history, he was sent home with pain killers but without a CT scan or further care. 'Not at any point did anyone say to us, 'what do we need to know about Brayden so that we can give him the best care possible?',' notes Robbins. Six days later, his condition had deteriorated. He was screaming in pain. 'On the way to the hospital, Brayden told us he was dying,' said his mother. Again, despite advocacy from his parents, it took five hours for a CT scan, that diagnosed the brain bleed, to be administered. But it was too late, especially with no pediatrician there and emergency transport to a bigger hospital unavailable for hours. Brayden died the next morning. 'Things that were not in place, that should have been in place, that would have given Brayden a better chance of survival,' said Robbins, holding back tears Tuesday. The family wrote to Health Minister Josie Osborne June 23, seeking a meeting. They hadn't heard back by Monday, so their local MLA, B.C. Conservative Brennan Day, amplified their concerns with an additional letter to Osborne Tuesday. 'We know the system is fraying around the edges and we're feeling it, based on reporting from across the province, most acutely in pediatrics and ERs,' said Day, Tuesday. Osborne released a statement late Tuesday afternoon that said, 'We must learn from tragic cases like these and do everything possible to avoid another family having to go through what Brayden's family is experiencing. It is critical that a thorough review is completed to examine what happened and how the system can do better.' The statement said a 'multi-agency review' of Brayden's case is already underway, including Island Health, BC Emergency Health Services, BC Children's Hospital, and Child Health BC. 'It is my expectation that the family's input be a part of this review. Action has also already been taken to strengthen BCEHS' capacity to transport patients in need with the addition of a new night shift Critical Care Paramedic operating in the region, as of July 1st.' Robbins told CTV late Tuesday she spoke with Osborne's office, and they have agreed to a Zoom meeting on Wednesday afternoon. Robbins is happy to hear about the addition of a new night paramedic shift in the Comox region. However, she is disappointed to have learned about the new shift through the media, not the healthcare system. Also, she said her family was never consulted about the review. Robbins welcomes Wednesday's meeting, and hopes the loss of her son can motivate meaningful changes to the system. 'We are our worst nightmare. Our lives will never be the same without our son, he was everything to us,' she said.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
At least 7 children have died in a hot car in the U.S. this year. Why this happens, according to experts.
Seven children have died in hot cars across the U.S. so far this year. In March, a 4-month-old who was supposed to be dropped off at a babysitter's home in New Jersey was forgotten in a minivan for two hours. Just last week in North Carolina, a 7-month-old was also left inside a hot minivan. It's a preventable tragedy that makes dozens of headlines every spring and summer. Nearly 40 children die in hot cars each year, according to data compiled by Kids and Car Safety, a national nonprofit that fights for child safety in and around vehicles. Since 1990, more than 1,000 kids have died from overheating in a car somewhere in the U.S. In 2024, 39 kids died in hot cars, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), down from 2018 and 2019, when a record-breaking 53 children died in hot cars. Excluding car crashes, heatstroke is the leading cause of death in vehicles for children 14 and younger. The majority of hot car deaths happen because the driver forgets the child is in the car, according to the NHTSA. The federal agency has found that 47% of these deaths happen when the caregiver has forgotten to drop those children off at day care or school, and it usually happens at the end of the workweek, on Thursdays or Fridays. The second leading cause is when unsupervised children get into unattended vehicles on their own. 'The majority of parents and caregivers are misinformed and would like to believe that they could never 'forget' their child in a vehicle,' Kids and Car Safety notes. 'The most dangerous mistake a parent or caregiver can make is to think leaving a child alone in a vehicle could never happen to them or their family.' Children who get trapped in cars suffer from pediatric vehicular heatstroke, which happens when the child's body temperature rises because of the internal temperature of a car. For example, if the outside temperature is around 70°F, the inside of a car's temperature will increase to over 100°F within the first 30 minutes. A child's body will overheat three to five times faster than an adult's body, according to the Columbia University Irving Medical Center. More often than not, caregivers leave children in hot cars by accident, which is why they're usually not charged with murder, David Diamond, a psychology professor at the University of South Florida, told Yahoo News. Diamond has studied cases of children dying in hot cars for 20 years. 'These are not parents who don't care about their kids,' Diamond said. 'Everyone can relate to forgetting. It's something that we all do.' Diamond says parents leave their kids in overheating cars because of habit and routine. The 'habit brain memory system' kicks in when people perform repetitive tasks almost automatically or without a second thought. Diamond has said that knowing how to ride a bike or tie shoelaces are examples of habit brain memory. 'You're driving home from work, and you've done it hundreds of times by yourself,' Diamond explained to Yahoo News. 'It's your brain's habit memory system that takes you from work to home without even having to think about it. You drive straight home.' Even if parents feel confident that they will remember their child is in the back seat and needs to be dropped off somewhere before they get to the office, the habit brain memory system can overpower that new addition to a routine they've done hundreds of times without the child, Diamond said. He emphasized this is not a 'syndrome' or rare mental disorder, but something most people experience because it's how the brain functions. It does not mean the parent or caregiver doesn't love their child. ''Forgetting' really is the right word,' he said of situations where parents leave their kids in hot cars. But 'forgetting' the child because of routine doesn't alleviate any severity or pain from the experience for those parents. 'It truly is a form of forgetting. And that's as simple as it is. It is a catastrophe." Creating relevant safety laws is crucial to helping parents protect their children in these situations, Amber Rollins, director of Kids and Car Safety, told Yahoo News. Rollins cited data dating back to 1990 that shows children died less frequently from airbags while sitting in the front seat of a car after states made it illegal for kids under 13 to ride in the passenger seat. (It also wasn't required in all states for kids to ride in car seats until 1985.) But as more children were placed in the back seats of cars to avoid airbag deaths, kids were instead dying of heatstroke because they were forgotten in the car. This is why groups like Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Safe Kids Worldwide, the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association and Kids and Car Safety are advocating for it to be mandatory for car manufacturers to build in radar systems that help notify parents if their kids are still sitting in the back seat. Part of the argument for why radar should be built into the cars — instead of tools parents can order online and install themselves— is, as Diamond told Yahoo News, because most people do not believe they would ever forget their child in the back seat of the car and wouldn't buy it. 'The best kind of solution available right now is radar detection,' Rollins said. 'It's a little chip that goes into the headliner or the roof of the vehicle, and it detects micro-movements. … it can tell the difference between an adult and a child based on micro-movements … and so, effectively, it can tell, 'Hey, there's a kid in here and I don't see a grown-up; we've got a problem.'' Kids and Car Safety coordinated with NHTSA on the federal Hot Cars Act, which was passed by the House of Representatives in 2021. The act then evolved into a provision under the Child Safety section in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was signed into law in November 2021. The provision requires that the Secretary of Transportation 'issue a rule that requires all new passenger motor vehicles to be equipped with a child safety alert system.' But, according to Rollins, the NHTSA has not made enough effort to put this rule into effect across all car manufacturers. Some manufacturers do have 'Rear Occupant Alert' systems in place for certain vehicle productions — it's in multiple Hyundai and Kia vehicles — but Rollins thinks the NHTSA should do more. A spokesperson for the NHTSA told Yahoo News that the organization is still conducting studies to ensure that the radar devices currently available are actually effective. A concern is that if the technology is faulty and alerts parents over every small thing in the back of their car, parents might feel inclined to turn it off, Rollins said. The technology needs to exclusively flag if children are unattended in the back of a car. Rollins argued that there are existing detection devices that have passed multiple tests and should be installed. 'The agency will continue to test additional systems as they become available to the public,' the NHTSA spokesperson said. It's common for parents to believe they would never forget their children in the back seat of their car. Here are some tips from Sanford Health on how to ensure you remember your child is in the back. Put something in the back seat of your car with your child that you need before leaving the vehicle, like a cell phone, one of your shoes or an employee badge — something you need when you arrive at your destination. Keep a stuffed animal in your child's car seat and move it to the front of the car while driving your child as a reminder that they are in the car with you. Ask your babysitter or child care provider to give you a call if your child is expected to show up somewhere but hasn't arrived. Always check that your car is locked and inspect it before leaving the premises — even if you're in a rush. This can help you double-check nobody is in the back seat and addresses the second cause of children dying in hot cars, which is when they climb in unattended and unsupervised.
Associated Press
12-05-2025
- Associated Press
Missouri's attorney general has sued a utility over an explosion of a home that killed a 5-year-old
LEXINGTON, Mo. (AP) — Missouri's attorney general sued a natural gas company Monday over the explosion of a home in a small town that killed a 5-year-old boy, accusing the utility of violating a state safety law. Attorney General Andrew Bailey's lawsuit came less than a week after federal investigators said in a preliminary report that a Liberty Utilities employee failed to mark a section of a gas line before another company drilled into it while installing a fiber optic cable. The April 9 explosion destroyed a home in Lexington, a town of about 4,500 people about 55 miles (89 kilometers) east of Kansas City. The blast killed Alistair Lamb and injured his 10-year-old sister, Cami, and their father, Jacob Cunningham. Bailey's lawsuit, filed in Lafayette County Circuit Court, alleges that a Liberty employee 'falsely' told the company installing the fiber optic cable that all gas lines had been marked. The lawsuit called the explosion a 'preventable tragedy.' Bailey said Liberty violated a state law designed to ensure that digging for underground water, sewer and telecommunications lines is safe. Bailey is seeking a $10,000 fine for each day the section of gas line wasn't marked and wants a special monitor appointed to ensure that the company complies with the law. The company said in a statement that as a party to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board's ongoing investigation, it cannot comment much about the explosion or the lawsuit. Liberty said it will continue to help families affected by the explosion and 'support broader recovery efforts.' 'Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our customers, employees, and communities,' the statement said. 'We remain fully committed to working with authorities and regulatory agencies to support the ongoing investigation into the cause of the incident.'
