Janice R. Andrews
A witness to the Titan submersible accident has described the extreme dread and delusion of hope that those on its support ship went through. An unsettling description of the catastrophic circumstances that transpired during the disastrous dive to the Titanic in June 2023 was shared by Oceangate expedition member Rory Golden with BBC News.
When communication with the Titan submarine and its five occupants was lost, Golden was on board the Polar Prince support ship. He talked about the first worries that soon turned into a major problem. “We had this image in our heads of them being down there, running out of oxygen in the freezing cold, getting terribly frightened and scared,” he said. This unsettling notion lingered until they discovered that the sub had collapsed a few hours into the dive. Golden expressed relief that the people on board had not had a protracted experience.
A Hopeful Beginning Results in Disaster
What should have been a routine operation for the Titan submarine was a dive to survey the Titanic disaster. Golden, who was on board the Polar Prince to do talks on the Titanic, clarified that there was little reason for alarm at first. “When the sub was overdue we weren’t unduly concerned because communications break down a lot in the ocean,” he explained. However, when the alert was ultimately raised, indicating significant problems, the situation became grim.
The United States Coast Guard initiated a large-scale search and rescue endeavor. A glimmer of hope appeared in the days that followed when sounds of pounding underwater were heard, suggesting that the sounds may be the remains of the lost submarine. Regretfully, it was eventually established that the passengers most likely perished instantaneously following the Titan’s fatal breakdown as it got closer to the Titanic at the bottom of the Atlantic.
Lost Lives and Misplaced Hope
British adventurer Hamish Harding, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, CEO of Oceangate Stockton Rush, and French diver Paul Henri (PH) Nargeolet were all killed in the disaster. Golden, PH Nargeolet’s close friend, expressed the deep effect of the loss. “We lived in false hope for four days,” he stated. “There’s still a lot of questions to be answered.”
Golden is now traveling with the first expedition to the Titanic after the accident, which was meant to be led by PH Nargeolet. A memorial ceremony for all those who lost their lives aboard the submarine has been held at sea, and a plaque honoring Nargeolet is being placed near the scene of the crash. Golden related a moving story about his final encounter with PH. “He was joyful and in excellent shape when he departed the ship. He declared, “He was heading somewhere he wanted to be.”
Thoughts and Apologies
Golden reflected on his personal experiences, mentioning that the year before he had gone to the Titanic in the Oceangate sub. “PH and I had discussed the submersible in the past and I had actually made a dive in it myself the year before,” he said. Golden did not regret his dive, despite the tragic outcome. “I was comfortable, I spent 12 hours at the Titanic and it was a whole different experience being in a submersible that I could actually move around quite well in.”
Golden underlined how erratic these kinds of operations may be. He remarked, “It wasn’t my time.” “You never know when the moment will be right for you. And that really made all of us realize that.”
Inquiries and Safety Issues
Four days after Titan went missing, its wreckage was found, providing confirmation of the passengers’ demise. Golden said, “We all sobbed when the sub’s remains were discovered.” He claims that the friendship that was created between the people aboard the support ship that week will never fade.
Serious doubts concerning the Titan submersible’s safety have been raised by the accident. Prior to the dive, industry experts voiced concerns, and the US and Canadian Coast Guards are still conducting investigations. Changes intended to avert such disasters in the future are anticipated as a result of these investigations.
Golden’s perspective emphasizes the psychological and emotional toll that marine excursions have on participants as well as the continuous search for solutions and advancements in safety regulations.
