Lawsuit Alleges Titan Sub Crew Aware of Impending Doom Before Implosion

The family of a French explorer who perished in the Titan submersible implosion has initiated a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against OceanGate, the vessel's operator. The lawsuit claims that the crew experienced "terror and mental anguish" prior to the catastrophic event. Central to the allegations is the decision by OceanGate's founder, Stockton Rush, to construct the Titan's hull from carbon fiber instead of the more traditional titanium, which is known for its durability in deep-sea exploration. The lawsuit highlights that Rush was aware of the risks associated with carbon fiber, particularly its susceptibility to catastrophic failure if imperfections existed in the structure. Despite this knowledge, he opted not to conduct a safety scan of the hull, leading to tensions with the head of marine operations, who had requested the assessment. The suit also points out that the Titan had only made a few exploratory trips to the wreck site, which may have compromised the integrity of its carbon-fiber hull. Furthermore, the lawsuit claims that warnings from experts, including a 2018 letter from the Marine Technology Society, were ignored by Rush and OceanGate. These warnings cautioned that the company's experimental approach could lead to severe consequences. The suit asserts that the crew, including renowned explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, were not fully informed about the vessel's safety, fostering a false sense of security regarding the Titan's seaworthiness. In a striking conclusion, the lawsuit states that "common sense dictates" the crew must have been aware of their impending fate before the tragic implosion occurred. The Independent has reached out to OceanGate for a response to these serious allegations.