Canadian Safety Board Warns That Unregistered Submersibles Continue to Dive Following Titan Deaths
Since the ill-fated Titan descended to explore the Titanic wreck a year ago, other unregistered submersibles have been operating in Canadian waters, according to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.
The independent agency raised concerns in a safety letter recently issued to Transport Canada about the oversight of these vessels operating within the Canadian waters.
This letter, made public on June 17, is part of the safety board’s ongoing investigation into the fatal June 18, 2023, dive by the Titan submersible off the coast of Newfoundland, which resulted in the loss of all five individuals on board.
The investigation uncovered that both before and after June 2023, numerous submersibles with crew members were active in Canadian waters. While some of these vessels are registered, others are not, and there is uncertainty about whether they have undergone necessary oversight by Transport Canada or other certifying bodies, as stated in the safety board’s letter dated Thursday.
The safety board sent the letter to Transport Canada for any necessary follow-up actions and expressed a desire to be informed of the federal government’s response to the issue.
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A spokesperson from Transport Canada was not immediately available for comment. The safety board mentions on its website that these safety information letters are sent to regulatory or industry stakeholders to notify them of potential safety concerns identified during investigations that pose low risks and do not necessitate immediate action.
The Titan submersible, operated by OceanGate, was neither registered nor certified in Canada or elsewhere to ensure compliance with safety standards. Marine engineers had warned about the risky “experimental” approach taken by OceanGate, which could have severe consequences.
The Canadian-flagged cargo ship Polar Prince towed the Titan to its dive location, approximately 600 kilometers off Cape Race, N.L. The submersible lost contact with the Polar Prince team about 1 hour and 45 minutes into its descent. The safety board highlights that in previous Titan expeditions in 2021 and 2022, the vessel was not towed but transported to the dive site on another Canadian ship, the Horizon Arctic.
On June 22, 2023, the United States Coast Guard reported a catastrophic implosion that destroyed the Titan submersible, resulting in the tragic loss of all five individuals aboard. Pieces of the Titan were located on the ocean floor near the Titanic wreck. The deceased included the vessel’s pilot, OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush; British billionaire Hamish Harding; French explorer and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet; and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son, Suleman.
Coast guard experts indicated that the vast debris field suggested the Titan disintegrated above the sunken steamship, which went down on April 15, 1912.
In 2018, a group of engineers and industry professionals expressed concerns to Titan’s owners about the lack of certification. OceanGate had explained in a 2019 blog post that Titan, constructed from carbon fiber and titanium, was not subject to classification to avoid hindering innovation.
