The individuals who tragically perished in the OceanGate Titan submersible incident included OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood from a prominent Pakistani family, British adventurer Hamish Harding, and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet. Meanwhile, James Cameron, the director of the original Titanic film, has been in the media spotlight as an ocean exploration expert critical of the submersible’s structure and the dissemination of information to the public.
Insiders familiar with the situation revealed that Netflix’s decision to bring back Titanic on its platform after the OceanGate tragedy was coincidental. According to sources, licensing agreements are often finalized months in advance, and the film’s availability had been scheduled well before the Titan submersible incident gained media attention.
While Netflix faces criticism for its timing, international agencies are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the Titan submersible accident. U.S. maritime officials have pledged to issue a report aimed at improving submersible safety worldwide. Collaborative efforts among investigators from the U.S., Canada, France, and the United Kingdom are underway to uncover the causes of the June 18 incident, which occurred in a challenging and remote region of the North Atlantic.
Salvage operations are ongoing, and the accident site has been mapped. However, the investigation timeline has not been disclosed. The final report will be submitted to the International Maritime Organization, and the goal is to prevent similar occurrences and enhance maritime safety globally.
Given the complexity of the search in an area where the Gulf Stream intersects with the Labrador Current, controlling underwater vehicles can be challenging due to unpredictable ocean currents. Nevertheless, experts believe that all the debris from the submersible has been located within a small area. Carl Hartsfield, a retired Navy captain and submarine officer, who now directs a lab at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, stated that based on the data and performance of remote vehicles, he does not anticipate significant challenges related to currents. The search area is smooth and separate from the debris field of the Titanic.
Determining the responsible agency or agencies for investigating the accident has proven complicated since it occurred in international waters. OceanGate Expeditions, the company owning the Titan, is based in the U.S., but the submersible was registered in the Bahamas. The Polar Prince, the mother ship of the Titan, was from Canada, and the victims were from various countries including England, Pakistan, France, and the U.S.
The investigation’s complexity is further amplified by the lack of comprehensive regulations in deep-sea exploration. OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush had previously voiced concerns about regulatory constraints hindering progress in the field. Efforts are underway to potentially reform regulations governing submersibles, including certification, inspection requirements, emergency plans, and life support systems.
