PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The Titan submersible disaster could have been prevented, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a report Tuesday that held OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush responsible for ignoring safety warnings, design flaws and crucial oversight which, had he survived, may have resulted in criminal charges.
Rush and four passengers were killed instantly deep below the North Atlantic in June 2023 when Titan suffered a catastrophic implosion as it descended to the wreck of the Titanic. A multiday search for survivors off Canada grabbed international headlines, and the tragedy led to lawsuits and calls for tighter regulation of the burgeoning private deep sea expedition industry.
video provided by Pelagic Research Services, shows remains of the Titan submersible, center, on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. (U.S. Coast Guard Video courtesy Pelagic Research Services via AP)” width=”599″ height=”337″ src=”https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/0cab248/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2972×1672+0+0/resize/599×337!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F02%2Ff3%2Fa11f211725e20ee421a7ba4b0336%2Fc73d2ec474b14b0f9657e34f10da6cf5″ loading=”lazy”/>
This June 2023 United States Coast Guard still frame from video provided by Pelagic Research Services, shows remains of the Titan submersible, center, on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. (U.S. Coast Guard Video courtesy Pelagic Research Services via AP)
This June 2023 United States Coast Guard still frame from video provided by Pelagic Research Services, shows remains of the Titan submersible, center, on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. (U.S. Coast Guard Video courtesy Pelagic Research Services via AP)
The Coast Guard determined that safety procedures at OceanGate, a private company based in Washington state, were “critically flawed” and found “glaring disparities” between safety protocols and actual practices.
Preventing the next Titan disaster
Jason Neubauer of the Marine Board of Investigation said the findings will help avoid 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 in a statement.
Salvatore Mercogliano, a professor of maritime history at Campbell University in North Carolina, said OceanGate was able to exploit gray areas in maritime law that made it unclear who was responsible for enforcing regulations.
Now, he said, the Coast Guard and other international maritime agencies will be looking to improve coordination and implement clearer mechanisms for enforcement, especially for private submarines.
“Unfortunately almost all maritime regulation is written in blood, and something had to happen first,” Mercogliano said.
OceanGate suspended operations in July 2023. Spokesperson Christian Hammond said the company has been wound down and was fully cooperating with the investigation, and he offered condolences to the families of those who died and everyone affected.
‘Red flags’ at OceanGate
Investigators pointed to a culture at OceanGate of downplaying, ignoring and even falsifying key safety information to improve its reputation and evade scrutiny from regulators.
The company ignored “red flags” and had a “toxic workplace culture,” with firings of senior staff and the looming threat of dismissal used to dissuade employees and contractors from expressing safety concerns.
Rush, a former flight test engineer for fighter jets, founded the company in 2009 after years of experience in aerospace and aviation.
The Marine Board concluded that Rush had an “escalating disregard for established safety protocols,” which contributed to the deaths.