Estate of French explorer who died on Titan submersible sues OceanGate

The estate of a French explorer killed along with others in the implosion of the Titan submersible last year sued the company that built it and embarked on the deadly journey to the Titanic wreckage.

The lawsuit, filed by the administrator of Paul-Henri Nargeolet’s estate in Washington state, names that company, OceanGate Inc.; the estate of its co-founder and CEO, Stockton Race; and other companies. It seeks more than US$50 million.

It argues that Rush used carbon fiber in the ship’s hull, a material not previously used in submersibles; that he refused certification that could have provided the outside expertise that could have prevented the tragedy; and that those on board would probably know that they were about to die.

Nargeolet, Rush and three other people died when the submersible, which was trying to reach the wreckage of the Titanic, imploded in June 2023. One of the dead I was 19 years old.

“Nargeolet may have died doing what he loved to do, but his death – and the deaths of the other members of the TITAN crew – were unjust,” says the lawsuit, filed Tuesday in King County.

“The catastrophic implosion that claimed Nargeolet’s life was directly due to the persistent carelessness, recklessness and negligence” of OceanGate, Rush and the other defendants, it says.

The lawsuit alleges that OceanGate and others ignored warnings from deep-sea diving experts and engineers about the Titan.

The suit argues that modern commercial manned submersibles for deep-sea exploration are generally made of titanium – but that Rush believes the titanium was unnecessarily heavy and targeted for this purpose. the hull will be made of carbon fiber.

Rush also refused certification of the sub by DNV, a ratings organization that advises the maritime industry on safety.

Because of this choice by Rush, “there were no independent or third-party sources for information or assurance” before the fateful trip, the suit says.

It was not immediately clear Wednesday whether OceanGate had an attorney representing it in the civil case. The company’s website does not list contact information and carries a message that says “OceanGate has suspended all commercial and exploration operations.”

The submarine’s disappearance on June 18, 2023, triggered a frantic search to rescue its crew, and several countries sent resources to help the effort led by the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard eventually said wreckage had been located and human remains had been recovered. found and returned to earth.

The Titan was trying to reach the wreckage of the Titanic, which lies at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, about 12,500 feet, or 2.3 miles, deep.

Nargeolet was an experienced diver known as “Mr. Titanic,” and he completed 37 dives to the famous wreck throughout his career. OceanGate hired him to help guide the Titan through the wreckage site because of his familiarity with it, the suit says.

OceanGate suspended all commercial and exploration operations following the disaster.

The Coast Guard opened a Navy Investigation Board in the implosion to determine its cause. A public hearing is scheduled for September 16th.

Also killed in the implosion were British billionaire Hamish Harding and prominent Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son, Suleman.

The lawsuit also alleges the frightening detail that the crew was aware that the submarine was about to implode.

The carbon fiber emits a crackling sound under pressure, and Rush installed an “acoustic safety system” that would detect this crackling sound and alert the pilot, the suit says.

“Although the exact cause of the failure could never be determined, experts agree that the TITAN crew would have realized exactly what was happening,” the lawsuit says.

“RUSH’s vaunted ‘acoustic safety system’ would have alerted the crew that the carbon fiber hull was cracking under extreme pressure – prompting the pilot to release weight and attempt an abort,” the document says. “Common sense dictates that the crew was well aware that they were going to die, before they did.”

The lawsuit says the amount of damages is not precisely known, but that it is at least more than $50 million.

This article was originally published in NBCNews. with