OceanGate Suspends Operations After Deadly Titan Implosion

OceanGate, the owner of the Titan submersible that imploded last month during a voyage to the Titanic killing five people, announced on Thursday it will suspend its underwater exploration and commercial operations.

Stockton Rush, the company’s CEO, was one of the five people who perished on board the vessel  in the North Atlantic sea. OceanGate has faced mounting criticism for prior safety failures of their submersible.

“OceanGate has suspended all exploration and commercial operations,” a message reads on the company’s official. However, OceanGate is still advertising expeditions for touring the Titanic wreckage with reserved dates for 2024.

Tickets to explore the Titanic wreckage approximately 12,500 feet below the ocean’s surface on the submersible sold for $250,000 a ticket.

After Rush along with billionaire Hamish Harding, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his son Suleman entered the Titan vessel, they lost contact with their mother ship 1 hour and 45 minutes into the voyage on June 18.

The sudden disappearance launched an international search to locate the Titan and hopefully rescue the crewmembers on board. However, four days later, officials confirmed that the Titan had suffered a “catastrophic implosion” likely killing all members on board the vessel instantly.

According to the Washington Post, The U.S. Coast Guard has launched an investigation into the implosion and could potentially recommend new regulations for deep-sea diving or criminal charges.