On Thursday (June 22), OceanGate confirmed what many people in the deep submergence community – including Titanic director James Cameron – feared. The five passengers aboard the Titan submersible, which went missing on Sunday, likely died in what experts are describing as a ‘catastrophic implosion.’
Speaking with Anderson Cooper on CNN on Thursday, Cameron discussed the tragedy and how he reacted to the days-long search. He admitted there was ‘only one scenario’ he could think of that would account for what transpired ‘was an implosion.’ He was hoping he was wrong, but had a feeling he wasn’t.
“I mean, obviously, we’re all – we’re all kind of heartsick from the outcome of this,” he said. “I watched over the ensuing days this whole sort of everybody running around with their hair on fire search, knowing full well that it was futile – hoping against hope that I was wrong but knowing in my bones that I wasn’t.”
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James Cameron went on to admit he wasn’t surprised when OceanGate confirmed his suspicion and expressed deep sorrow for all the families who ‘had to go through all of these false hopes that kept getting dangled.’ Keep in mind, Thursday’s announcement came four days after the Titan sub went missing.
'Titanic' filmmaker and marine explorer James Cameron said he wishes he 'had been more vocal' about OceanGate's safety practices in the wake of the Titan submersible implosion this week pic.twitter.com/Xox0epMi0D
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) June 24, 2023
Cameron, who directed the famous 1997 Titanic film, was actually out on a ship himself at the time the Titan went missing. It wasn’t until Monday morning that he heard about it. He wasted no time in reaching out to his network within the deep submergence space and started gathering information about the Titan.
When he learned that all communication with and tracking of the Titan had been lost, James Cameron had a feeling the submersible imploded – which he described as ‘a shock wave event so powerful that it actually took out a secondary system that has its own pressure vessel and its own battery power supply.’
‘Titanic’ director James Cameron on the ‘catastrophic implosion’ of Titan submersible: “I’m struck by the similarity of the Titanic disaster itself, where the captain was repeatedly warned about ice ahead of his ship and yet he steamed at full speed into an ice field." pic.twitter.com/vO8JkCXS5f
— ABC News (@ABC) June 22, 2023
It wasn’t until the Army confirmed they heard ‘some kind of loud noise consistent with an implosion event’ that he started messaging his ‘inner circle of people’ that they had ‘lost our comrades.’ He encouraged everyone he knew within the deep submergence community to ‘raise a glass in their own on Monday.’
James Cameron Hopes for a More Thorough Investigation
James Cameron, an avid explorer of the deep sea since the 1990s, is hoping they launch a more thorough investigation of what occurred on Sunday (June 18). He described the search that ensued this week as ‘this whole sort of everybody running around with their hair on fire search’ in his interview.
The five passengers include Hamish Harding (chairman of Action Aviation), Shahzada Dawood (vice chairman of Engro and Dawood Hercules Corp.), Suleman Dawood (19-year-old son of Shahzada), Paul-Henri Nargeolet (French deep sea explorer), and Stockton Rush (CEO of OceanGate).
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In a statement on Thursday, OceanGate confirmed the five passengers – including their CEO – have sadly passed. “These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans. Our hearts are with these five souls.”
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