OceanGate Expedition released an announcement that it is suspending all of its operations following the catastrophic implosion of its Titan submersible that killed five passengers on board.
Exploration and Commercial Operations Suspended
The statement was made on OceanGate's website on June 6, saying that the Everett, Washington-based company "has suspended all operation and commercial operations." The company did not give details about its decision to halt its operations, and phone messages looking for comments were left with the company. It is also unclear if the company will return or has suspended all its expeditions indefinitely.
Surprisingly, the same website where the announcement was made still advertises its ocean expeditions worth $250,000. It still features the highlights of the equipment and the expedition offerings like the Titanic wreckage tour. In fact, the website shows OceanGate's plan to conduct two expeditions to the ruins of Titanic in June 2024. On the day the announcement was released, the landing page of the website was still functional, but the links to other sections were either broken or not functional.
Andrew Von Kerens, a spokesman for TrailRunner International, said that OceanGate has no additional information beyond what is posted in the company's website.
OceanGate hosted tourist excursions on the submersible to the century-old remnants of the Titanic. On June 18, it descended to the ocean floor about 12,5000 feet deep but lost its contact in less than two hours. A four-day international search mission was sent using remote-operated vehicles (ROVs) to locate the five passengers on board including OceanGate's CEO Stockton Ruch.
From this search mission, the U.S. Coast Guard discovered remnants of the vessel near the site of the ship, believing that the submersible has suffered an implosion. Last week, debris believed to be human remains were recovered and examined by medical officials in the U.S.
The U.S. Coast Guard has summoned a Marine Board of Investigation, its highest level of investigation, to look into the implosion, and plans to conduct a public hearing in the future.
Another safety investigation was launched by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada which will focus on searching for all underlying and contributing factors in the disaster without giving civil or criminal liability.
An Eerie Comment About Dying
Rush had an unsettling response when he was asked about the potential emergencies of the tour. This was revealed by documentary cameraman Brian Weed who went on a test dive aboard the submersible.
Weed worked with Rush in filming the Discovery Channel's series "Expedition Unknown" shown in May 2021. He and his colleague named Josh Gates went inside the submersible in Puget Sound, Washington, to witness the test drive.
When the Titan was bolted shut, Rush was asked what would happen if the vessel faced an emergency. He explained that there are only four or five days before the passengers on board run out of oxygen. The camera operator recounted that Rush was also asked what will happen if the passengers are not found, to which he replied, "Well, you're dead anyway."
Weed believes that Rush's response seems like a nihilistic attitude toward life or death. He also describes that the CEO's approach to basic safety was already a warning, making him uneasy during the test drive.
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