A new lawsuit filed by the estate of French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet has brought to light chilling details about the final moments of the Titan submersible crew, who perished when their vessel imploded near the ocean floor while exploring the wreckage of the Titanic. The lawsuit claims that the crew members, including Nargeolet, were aware that they were in grave danger before the submersible catastrophically failed under the immense pressure of the deep Atlantic Ocean.
The Titan submersible, operated by OceanGate, was on a mission to explore the Titanic’s wreckage, which lies over 12,000 feet below the ocean’s surface. According to the lawsuit, filed in a Washington state court, the crew became alarmed approximately 90 minutes into their descent when they realized something was amiss with the submersible. The lawsuit alleges that the crew members knew they were likely to die as the situation deteriorated rapidly.
The lawsuit accuses OceanGate of knowingly hiding potential flaws in the submersible’s design and cutting corners on safety measures. It claims that the company failed to disclose critical information about the structural integrity of the vessel, which ultimately led to the tragic implosion. The estate of Nargeolet is seeking damages for what it describes as gross negligence and a deliberate disregard for the safety of the crew.
“The crew members were experienced and understood the risks involved in deep-sea exploration, but they trusted OceanGate to provide a vessel that was safe and capable of withstanding the extreme conditions of the deep ocean,” the lawsuit states. “Instead, they were sent to their deaths in a submersible that was fundamentally flawed.”
The lawsuit also highlights the psychological trauma that the crew must have endured during their final moments, knowing that their lives were in imminent danger. It further alleges that OceanGate ignored warnings from engineers and other experts who raised concerns about the submersible’s ability to withstand the pressures at such depths.
OceanGate has not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit, but the case is expected to draw significant attention as it moves forward. The tragic loss of the Titan submersible crew has already prompted calls for stricter regulations and oversight in the field of deep-sea exploration, where the margins for error are razor-thin.
As the legal battle unfolds, it may reveal more details about what went wrong on that fateful expedition and whether the disaster could have been prevented.
