Sinking disasters are extremely rare and ships are built to last. Girguis quote Alvin: Commissioned in 1964, the deep-ocean research submersible was the first manned vessel to explore Titanic wreckage, 1986. It is still in operation, having done more than 5,000 dives. “I feel safer in a research submersible than I do on a highway,” says Girguis, who estimates he has made more than 100 deep-sea research dives in the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico. , said. “Research submersibles have been diving for half a century—and they never budge from putting safety first.”
Girguis says some research submersibles can complete 150 dives a year. gianthowever, she made only her 14th voyage on 18 June.
Afterward giantwreckage was found, the US Navy revealed that it was detected an audio signature consistent with an explosion on June 18, in the common area where the ship was diving and lost contact with Polar Prince. Although that information was passed on to field commanders leading the search effort, the sound of the explosion could not be ascertained and as a result, the search and rescue mission was delayed. deployed.
An investigation led by the US Coast Guard is underway. The Canadian Transportation Safety Board, as well as French and British maritime authorities, have joined the investigation. So far, the five main parts of giant was found at a depth of 12,467 feet below the ocean surface and is currently under investigation brought to shore. Among the debris, the Coast Guard said it may have found human remains.
Jai Sharma, a maritime attorney at law firm Clyde & Co, said the investigation would be lengthy and detailed. Once completed, it will be able to propose civil or criminal charges. “In this case, you have families of wealthy passengers and have suffered heavy losses, so there could be major claims in civil court,” he said.
Further complicating the question of liability is that the incident occurred in international waters. OceanGate’s waiver, which all passengers signed prior to diving, states that any dispute will be governed by the laws of the Bahamas, where it is registered—its legal system is based on Common Law his. However, it is unclear whether the case will ultimately be heard in the Bahamas, the United States or Canada, where Polar Prince Registered.
OceanGate is the only tour operator that offers rides to see Titanic. Above it website, it invited passengers to “follow in the footsteps of Jacques Cousteau and become an underwater explorer.” It primarily caters to high-income individuals: seats on its last ill-fated ride cost $250,000 a person. it is part of a harsh tourism industry It’s a niche but growing market. John Lennon, professor of tourism at Glasgow Caledonian University, said: “Although they represent only a small percentage of the broader adventure travel market, these types of experiential and exploratory trips go to remote areas. These are in increasing demand.
While OceanGate may be an exception in that it ignores industry standards, these kinds of adventures naturally operate in the business of risk, Lennon added. “People are increasingly pursuing extreme adventures. There seems to be a thirst for extraordinary and unusual expeditions that perhaps don’t have a lasting record of rescuing people—that might even be part of the motivation to go.” As people continue to look for limits to push and companies look for new ways to make money, there is a danger that giant and the story of OceanGate is not a one-time event.
“When I learned the submersible was missing, I asked questions like, did they turn on the emergency beacon? Are there any underwater beacons?” Girguis said. “As I learn more about giant, I went through its list of safety features and found them all unsuitable, down to the messy approach to assembling and operating the ship,” he added. “It was a completely avoidable tragedy.”
