American wants to go down to «Titanic» after OceanGate disaster

American wants to go down to «Titanic» after OceanGate disaster — says it’s safe

News writer

To prove the safety of traveling before «Titanic» after of the bathyscaphe disaster «Titan» OceanGate Last year, a real estate investor from Ohio planned to launch a two-person submersible to the sunken liner.

Larry Connor said The Wall Street Journal: «I want to show people all over the world that while the ocean is extremely powerful, it can be wonderful, enjoyable and truly life-changing if you go about it the right way».

Connor is working with Patrick Lahey, co-founder and CEO of submarine manufacturer Triton Submarines. The entrepreneurs want to show that such an expedition can be carried out repeatedly and safely. Five people, including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, were killed in the «Titan» accident last June.

Connor called Lahey a few days after the disaster and said: «You know what we need to do is build a submarine that can dive repeatedly and safely and show the world that you guys can do it».

Larry Connor, who has previously visited the Mariana Trench, the deepest oceanic trench on Earth, said they plan to make the trip on a two-seater vessel called the Triton 4000/2 Abyssal Explorer. The number 4000 stands for the depth in meters it can reach. He does not say when the dive will take place.

Lahey was one of many industry figures who criticized OceanGate before and after the disaster, accusing the company of failing to follow safety rules. After the accident, he called Rush’s approach to convincing people to dive «rather predatory». Other industry and company representatives also expressed their concerns.

The «Titanic» disaster has caused concern in the industry, with some experts calling on the industry to reconsider its approach to transporting people to such a dangerous place. But Patrick Lahey believes that OceanGate’s problems are not typical of the entire industry: proven submersibles are considered very safe because of the many tests they undergo. Rob McCallum, a former OceanGate consultant who warned Rush about the dangers, agreed with this assessment.