2023 Titan implosion: US coast guard calls tragedy 'preventable'; points to systemic failures at OceanGate

The deadly 2023 implosion of the Titan submersible, which killed all five people on board during a dive to the Titanic wreck, was a “preventable” tragedy, according to a new report released Tuesday by the US Coast Guard.

The Titan, owned and operated by Washington-based private company OceanGate, imploded during a deep-sea expedition in the North Atlantic. All five people on board were killed, including Stockton Rush, OceanGate’s CEO and the operator of the submersible. The incident triggered a massive search and rescue effort off the coast of Canada that drew global attention, but there were no survivors.

The Coast Guard convened its highest level of investigation, a Marine Board of Investigation, in the aftermath of the disaster. Their final report pointed to significant failures in nearly every area of the Titan’s operation, from its design to its day-to-day oversight, reported PBS News.

Investigators found that the submersible’s design, certification, maintenance, and inspection processes were all inadequate. A Coast Guard statement further cited a “toxic workplace culture” within OceanGate and noted that the company’s mission was hindered by a lack of both domestic and international regulatory frameworks for submersible operations.

“There is a need for stronger oversight and clear options for operators who are exploring new concepts outside of the existing regulatory framework,” said Jason Neubauer, of the Marine Board of Investigation as quoted by PBS News. “The findings will help prevent future tragedies.”

In the two years since the implosion, multiple OceanGate employees have come forward to support the Coast Guard’s findings, describing unsafe practices and internal dysfunction at the company.

The Titan disaster has since led to lawsuits and mounting pressure for tighter regulation of the rapidly growing private deep-sea expedition industry.