Image Courtesy – FOX 11

Toronto - Canadian safety officials have initiated an investigation into a tragic incident involving a tourist submersible that imploded underwater, resulting in the loss of all five occupants.

The submersible Titan, was diving to explore the century-old wreck of the Titanic in the North Atlantic. The incident has raised concerns about the lack of regulation surrounding such expeditions.

After a five-day international rescue effort, a debris field from the submersible was discovered on the seabed, approximately 1,600 feet (488 meters) from the bow of the Titanic wreck.

Rear Admiral John Mauger of the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that the debris indicated a catastrophic implosion of the vessel due to the immense hydrostatic pressure at that depth, approximately 2-1/2 miles (4 km) below the surface.

Among the victims was Stockton Rush, the founder and CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, the U.S.-based company that operated the submersible. Titan offered individuals the opportunity to visit the Titanic wreck for a price of $250,000 per person. The other victims included British billionaire and explorer Hamish Harding, Pakistani-born businessman Shahzada Dawood, his 19-year-old son Suleman, and French oceanographer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, an esteemed authority on the Titanic.

In response to the incident, Canada's Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has announced the launch of “safety investigation regarding the circumstances" of Titan's operation because its surface support vessel, the Polar Prince, was a Canadian-flagged ship.

The TSB is particularly interested in examining the circumstances surrounding the submersible's operation since its surface support vessel, the Polar Prince, was flagged as a Canadian ship. A TSB team has been dispatched St. John's, Newfoundland, about 400 miles north of the accident site, to gather information and conduct interviews.

While Guillermo Söhnlein, OceanGate's co-founder, described Rush as a highly cautious risk manager, concerns have been raised within the submersible community regarding the lack of certification for Titan's novel design.

Critics pointed out that OceanGate chose to bypass industry third-party certifications and utilized materials, such as carbon fiber, which were not commonly used by others in the industry. Additionally, the company neglected warnings from experts and incorporated consumer-grade parts, including a video game joystick for control, in the submersible's construction.

OceanGate's safety practices had previously come under scrutiny during a symposium in 2018 and a subsequent lawsuit. However, the lack of governmental regulation in international waters allowed the company to proceed with its own approach to deep-sea exploration.

The recent tragedy marks the first known fatalities in over six decades of civilian deep-sea exploration. The U.S. Navy detected an anomaly consistent with an implosion or explosion near the submersible's location through acoustic data analysis. While this information was promptly shared with the U.S. Coast Guard, it was deemed inconclusive, and the search and rescue mission continued.

The incident has prompted reflection within the exploration community about the importance of safety measures and adherence to industry standards. Moviemaker James Cameron, renowned for directing the 1997 film "Titanic," which revived global interest in the shipwreck, expressed his sorrow and emphasized the need to prioritize safety.

One potential passenger, Jay Bloom, has voiced apprehension regarding the safety of the submersible involved in the fatal incident during a Titanic dive expedition. Bloom, a licensed helicopter pilot, expressed particular concern about the utilization of consumer-grade parts on the submersible named Titan.

Bloom highlighted the use of a video game joystick as a control mechanism, which raised doubts about the vessel's reliability. Additionally, Bloom found the fact that the submersible was bolted shut from the outside, preventing passengers from escaping in case of an emergency, to be unsettling.

Scientist and journalist Michael Guillen, who previously experienced a similar predicament during an expedition, called for a critical assessment of the purpose and safety protocols of Titanic expeditions.

As the investigation into the Titan implosion continues, the tragic event has underscored the necessity of stringent safety practices and regulatory oversight in the field of deep-sea exploration.