In June 2024, the submersible Titan, carrying five passengers to the wreckage of the liner Titanic located about 4,000 meters deep in the North Atlantic, was suddenly and permanently suspended. James Cameron, a deep ocean explorer, scientist, and filmmaker, expressed his thoughts on the incident in an interview with “60 Minutes Australia” on the same day. The submersible imploded at the site of the RMS Titanic, resulting in the loss of two of my friends and colleagues, PH Nargeolet and Hamish Harding.
PH and I had worked extensively on the design and operation of the Limiting Factor ultra-deep diving submersible, while Hamish and I had ventured to the deepest point in the ocean, the Challenger Trench. The loss of these individuals was not just news to me; it was personal. Many are questioning how this incident has changed deep-sea exploration. The incident has two distinct impacts: one being a potential increase in fear towards deep-sea exploration among the public.
Despite sensationalism surrounding the accident, it is crucial to note that there are well-established and safe methods for building and operating submersibles in deep waters. The Titan submersible’s unconventional design and safety concerns made it an outlier in the industry. It is vital to distinguish between safe certified submersibles like those used by PH Nargeolet and Hamish Harding in their successful voyage to depths beyond human comprehension and experimental vessels like Titan that were doomed from its conception due to flaws in decision making process surrounding its construction and operation.
As we wait for official investigations into this tragic event, calls for strengthened safety measures have been made within submersible industry. While this tragedy may lead to negative changes such as increased fear among public regarding deep-sea exploration or increased bureaucracy surrounding operations like this one but ultimately could result in positive outcomes including improved global safety standards for future deep-sea expeditions ensuring continued progress while protecting human lives through prioritization of safety concerns
