Titan implosion ‘preventable’, due to ‘critically flawed’ safety, coastguard report finds
The report on the implosion that killed five found significant disparities between OceanGate’s safety protocols and their actual practices
A US Coast Guard report released on Tuesday found that the deadly Titan submersible implosion that killed five people said the disaster was “preventable”, citing safety failures and deliberate efforts to avoid oversight.
All five people inside the Titan died in a catastrophic implosion as it descended to the wreck of the Titanic off Canada, and the days-long search for the missing vessel grabbed international headlines. The coastguard convened its highest level of investigation in the aftermath.
The Titan was owned by OceanGate, a private company based in Washington state. The operator of the submersible, OceanGate head Stockton Rush, died in the implosion.
The report found the company’s safety procedures were “critically flawed”, citing “glaring disparities” between their safety protocols and actual practices. The disaster has led to lawsuits and calls for tighter regulation of the developing private deep sea expedition industry.
Preventing the next Titan disaster
Jason Neubauer, with the Marine Board of Investigation, said that the findings will help prevent future tragedies.