Wreckage from the Titan sub, found near the Titanic site, was brought ashore by the Horizon Arctic and unloaded at the Canadian Coast Guard dock in St. John’s on June 28, 2023. The Canadian Press
Two years before the Titan submersible broke apart near the Titanic wreck, Canada’s Fisheries Department sent a letter supporting the sub’s American owner. A U.S. Coast Guard report released Tuesday confirmed this. The 300-page report says the tragedy could have been avoided.
OceanGate Ignored Serious Safety Warnings
OceanGate, the company behind the dive, made many mistakes. The report says it failed during both the sub’s design and its preparation for the mission. It highlights that OceanGate’s CEO, Stockton Rush, ignored warnings about serious flaws in the sub.
Investigators say those flaws could have led to criminal charges—if Rush had survived. Rush died in the implosion, along with four others. The sub was on its way to the Titanic wreck site, almost 700 km south of Newfoundland, on June 18, 2023.
Canada’s Letter to OceanGate Raised Questions
In May 2021, Canada’s Fisheries Department sent a letter to Rush. The letter said the department hoped to work with OceanGate for scientific research in Canadian waters. It also said the sub’s technology could help explore deep ocean areas that Canada’s current tools couldn’t reach.
The letter said the department might provide money for future dives. It also suggested that a department worker could join one of the dives. However, the report says there is no record of the worker actually diving in 2021.
The U.S. Coast Guard found no proof of a real partnership or money changing hands.
Poor Storage Conditions Raised Red Flags
In July 2022, the Titan was stored outside in a parking lot in St. John’s, Newfoundland. It wasn’t covered or protected from the weather. The report says the sub’s hull went through freezing and thawing many times, which may have caused damage.
The report called OceanGate’s care of the sub “alarming.”
Tax Loophole Deal With University
Later in 2022, Rush tried to avoid paying sales taxes by teaming up with a university in Newfoundland. He needed the expedition to look like a research project. The university signed an agreement in December 2022. This let OceanGate store equipment at the school’s marine institute.
In return, OceanGate promised students and staff could join future trips. The company also said it would use the sub to help promote ocean science. But the school later said no plans ever existed for students or staff to board the Titan.
Lives Lost in the Tragedy
The five people who died were Stockton Rush, French deep-sea expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British explorer Hamish Harding, and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood with his teenage son Suleman.
Canada’s own transportation board also finished a report. It is now under review.
