The tragedy of the Titan, the submarine that was trying to reach the remains of the Titanic in the Atlantic, has become news with worldwide repercussions. The information, of course, reached the eyes of James Cameron, director of titanic and an enthusiast of diving and aquatic exploration. The filmmaker regretted what happened, but his opinion also includes some words that are worth reflecting on.
“I have been there many times. I know the crash site very well. I understand the engineering issues associated with building this type of vehicle and all the safety protocols. This is a mature art and many people in the community were concerned about the submarine“, James Cameron began his speech with ABC News.
What do you mean by “worried about the submarine”? Prior to the catastrophe over the weekend, in which the 5 Titan crew members unfortunately died, there were already questions surrounding the operation of OceanGate, the company responsible for the submarine and the expeditions to the Titanic wreckage.
OceanGate did not comply with all the safety regulations involved in building a submarine that can dive more than 3,000 meters deep. In fact, it was a matter that they themselves recognized and seemed not to care about.
“At some point safety is sheer waste. If you just want to be safe, don’t get out of bed, don’t get in your car, don’t do anything. At some point you’re going to take some risk, and it really is a risk-reward thing.” “said Stockton Rush, director of OceanGate.
Of course, James Cameron also knew those concerns. In the same interview, he shared the outcome of the submarine with what happened with the sinking of the Titanic in 1912:
“I am struck by the similarity to the Titanic disaster itself, where the captain was repeatedly warned about the ice ahead of his ship and yet he sped into an ice field on a moonless night and many people died as result. Many people were concerned about this submersible.”
James Cameron.
It is understood that James Cameron, like many other industry experts, blame OceanGate for their irresponsibility in terms of security.
James Cameron has all the authority to rule on the subject because, in 2012, he was the first human to reach the deepest part of the ocean. But he is not only an enthusiast of venturing out to explore the ocean, but also of designing the vehicles that fulfill this purpose. He knows more than anyone that safety is a priority to keep crew members safe.
In fact, James Cameron claims that when designing a submarine, one of the first issues to be dealt with is the risks of implosion. Today, the United States Coast Guard confirmed that Titan suffered from this phenomenon, most likely from a localized crack in the hull that turned out to be fatal.
James Cameron highlights that OceanGate received feedback from the community, warning them of the risks of proceeding without meeting security standards. Today, unfortunately, we found out what happens sooner or later when you ignore those warnings. “Several leading figures in the deep submersion engineering community even wrote letters to the company saying they were being too experimental in loading passengers, and needed to get certified,” he said.
The filmmaker said he knew Paul-Henri Nargeolet, one of the five Titan crew members who died: “That he died in this tragic way is almost impossible for me to process.”