![]() Loibl said the dive was repeatedly delayed to fix a problem with the battery and the balancing weights, pushing the length of the voyage to 10 1/2 hours, much of it conducted in near darkness to save batteries. Everyone is sitting close to or on top of each other," said Arthur Loibl, a retired businessman and adventurer from Germany. "Imagine a metal tube a few meters long with a sheet of metal for a floor. One of the company's first customers likened a dive he made to the site two years ago to a suicide mission. ![]() Lochridge "is not an engineer and was not hired or asked to perform engineering services on the Titan," it said, and it noted he was fired after refusing to accept assurances from the company's lead engineer that the acoustic monitoring and testing protocol was, in fact, better suited to detect any flaws than a method Lochridge proposed. ![]() ![]() READ MORE: Ex OceanGate employee alleges firing for raising concerns over missing Titanic sub in 2018 lawsuit "This was problematic because this type of acoustic analysis would only show when a component is about to fail - often milliseconds before an implosion - and would not detect any existing flaws prior to putting pressure onto the hull," Lochridge's attorneys wrote in a wrongful termination claim. But questions about the submersible's safety were raised by both by a former company employee and former passengers.ĭavid Lochridge, OceanGate's former director of marine operations, argued in 2018 that the method the company devised for ensuring the soundness of the hull - relying on acoustic monitoring that could detect cracks and pops as the hull strained under pressure - was inadequate and could "subject passengers to potential extreme danger in an experimental submersible." District Court in Norfolk, Virginia, that oversees matters involving the Titanic shipwreck. WATCH: Former ABC reporter recalls near-death experience on trip to TitanicĪt least 46 people successfully traveled on OceanGate's submersible to the Titanic wreck site in 20, according to letters the company filed with a U.S. He said briefings about 96 hours of oxygen supply and banging noises were a "prolonged and nightmarish charade" that gave the crew members' families false hope. When they finally got an ROV (remotely operated vehicle) down there that could make the depth, they found it within hours. "For me, there was no doubt," Cameron said. He opined that Nargeolet was aware of the risks but would have been powered by a thirst for further exploration of the Titanic wreck and its fauna and flora.ĭirector James Cameron, who has made multiple dives to the wreckage of the Titanic, told the BBC that he knew an "extreme catastrophic event" had happened as soon as he heard the submersible had lost navigation and communications at the same time. "Obviously, the slightest problem with the hull and its implosion is immediate," Pétron said. At the depths in which the submersible was operating, the pressures are intense and unforgiving - equivalent to hundreds of kilograms weighing down on each square centimeter, he noted. "Unfortunately, I thought straight away of an implosion," diver and retired underwater filmographer Christian Pétron said Friday to broadcaster France-Info. Rescuers rushed ships, planes and other equipment to the site of the disappearance.Īuthorities were hoping underwater sounds detected Tuesday and Wednesday might help narrow their search, whose coverage area had been expanded to thousands of miles - twice the size of Connecticut and in waters 2 1/2 miles (4 kilometers) deep.Īny sliver of hope that remained for finding the crew alive, however, was wiped away early Thursday, when the submersible's 96-hour supply of air was expected to run out and the Coast Guard announced that a debris field had been found roughly 1,600 feet (488 meters) from the Titanic. Sunday and was reported overdue Sunday afternoon about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. What he achieved in his lifetime was truly remarkable and if we can take any small consolation from this tragedy, it's that we lost him doing what he loved." Harding's family said in a statement: "He was one of a kind and we adored him. "We are also indebted to our friends, family, colleagues and well-wishers from all over the world who stood by us during our need." "Their untiring efforts were a source of strength for us during this time," the family said in a statement.
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