Titan sub implosion heightens concerns of damage to Titanic

The US authority on Titanic artifacts says tourist trips to the wreck site risk seriously damaging the already weakened and decaying wreck.

Situated 12,500 feet below the Atlantic Ocean’s surface, there is always an element of risk when exploring the 1912 wreckage — which is also the watery grave of some 1,500 who perished when it sank — according to RMS Titanic, Inc. (RMST), president Jessica Sanders .

“That’s part of our concern, and that was part of our concern when they started tourist expeditions,” she told The Post when asked about damage from the recent Titan submersible implosion.

“There have been a lot of expeditions in the last couple of years. They say that they didn’t do anything … We just need to verify,” she added.

Mercifully, debris from the Titan implosion which killed all five aboard was found 1,600 feet from the bow (front) of the ship, meaning it is unlikely to have caused damage to the wreck, but the US and Canadian Coast Guards’ survey and salvage operation is ongoing.

The Titanic wreckage is located approximately 12,500 feet below the ocean’s surface.
Arthur Loibl/Instagram

The Titanic wreck site located approximately 450 miles from the coast of Newfoundland.
The Titanic wreck site is located approximately 450 miles from the coast of Newfoundland.
Arthur Loibl/Instagram

The Titanic wreckage
The Titanic wreckage spans roughly 2.5 square-miles.
Arthur Loibl/Instagram

Jessica clarified: “Again, we have no reason to believe that the Titan submersible came in contact with the wreck site. The investigation is ongoing.”

OceanGate Expeditions’ Titan submersible embarked on its journey to the Titanic wreckage early June 18, and resulted in the loss of five passengers — including RMST’s director of underwater research, famed pioneer Paul-Henri “PH” Nargeolet.

The remaining passengers were budding college student Sulaiman Dawood, his successful businessman father Shahzada Dawood, UK billionaire explorer amish Harding and OceanGate’s CEO and co-founder, Stockton Rush.

All were also killed in the deep sea when part of the vessel failed causing damage to the the pressurised hull making the craft implode, according to the US Coast Guard.


Full-sized digital scan of the Titanic, which lies 3,800m (12,500ft) down in the Atlantic, has been created using deep-sea mapping.
Full-sized digital scan of the Titanic, which lies 3,800m (12,500ft) down in the Atlantic, has been created using deep-sea mapping.
Atlantic Productions/Magellan

Digital scan of the Titanic, which lies 3,800m (12,500ft) down in the Atlantic.
Digital scan of the Titanic, which lies 3,800m (12,500ft) down in the Atlantic.
Atlantic/Magellan via AP

As the company with the US salvage rights to bring artifacts from the deep sea wreck to the surface, RMST is also the authority on conservation of the wreck site.

Submersible pilots must have the necessary expertise, and must also follow strict guidelines when navigating the 2.5 square-mile Titanic wreck site, Sanders noted.

“It’s kind of like going to a museum, you know,” she explained. “You can’t let your kids run free.”

But she rejected the idea that expeditions would never resume.


The first full-sized digital scan of the Titanic, which lies 3,800m (12,500ft) down in the Atlantic, created using deep-sea mapping.
The first full-sized digital scan of the Titanic, which lies 3,800m (12,500ft) down in the Atlantic, created using deep-sea mapping.
Atlantic Productions/Magellan

Scan of the Titanic wreckage, created using deep-sea mapping.
Scan of the Titanic wreckage, created using deep-sea mapping.
Atlantic Productions/Magellan

Digital scan of the Titanic wreck site, created using deep-sea mapping.
Digital scan of the Titanic wreck site, created using deep-sea mapping.
Produced by Atlantic/Magellan

Asked if last week’s tragic events caused her feelings surrounding commercial expeditions to change, Sanders admitted it had, but said Nargeolet — somewhat ironically — believed the wreck site “shouldn’t be just for a handful of people who can afford to get there.”

“Everybody should be able to see the artifacts, and it shouldn’t be just a millionaire, a billionaire or the military or a filmmaker that can go down to the wreck site,” she recalled of Nargeolet’s beliefs.

“It’s difficult because this one ended in a tragedy. But do I think the response is you should never be able to go? Then that contradicts a person that I deeply respected.”

one of the five victims of the Titan submersible implosion
Paul-Henri Nargeolet, one of the five victims of the Titan submersible implosion.
AFP via Getty Images

one of the five victims of the Titan submersible implosion
Hamish Harding, one of the five victims of the Titan submersible implosion.
Blue Origin


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one of the five victims of the Titan submersible implosion
Sulaiman and Shahzada Dawood, two of the five victims of the Titan submersible implosion.
DAWOOD HERCULES CORPORATION/AFP via Getty Images

one of the five victims of the Titan submersible implosion
Stockton Rush, one of the five victims of the Titan submersible implosion.
OceanGate


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She emphasized a need for “respectful rules while it’s still an active site.”

RMST has since been trying to concoct a way to “bring the wreck site to the public,” so their only option is not venturing into the deep sea.

Several groups, including famed international organization The Explorers Club and deep-sea mapping firm Magellan have said they do not have any expeditions to the Titanic wreckage planned for the remainder of the year.


Debris from the Titan submersible, recovered from the ocean floor near the wreck of the Titanic, is unloaded from the ship Horizon Arctic at the Canadian Coast Guard pier in St. John's, Newfoundland, Wednesday, June 28, 2023.
Debris from the Titan submersible, recovered from the ocean floor near the wreck of the Titanic, is unloaded from the ship Horizon Arctic at the Canadian Coast Guard pier in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Wednesday, June 28, 2023.
AP

“I think the world is done with that for this year and would, would highly criticize anybody trying to go,” Sanders added.

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