According to news reports from the Seattle-King County area, the company that built and operated three deep-sea submersibles has closed its doors
OceanGate doors are locked, and no one around
According to the Associated Press and MyNorthwest.com, OceanGate has locked its doors and ceased all operations.
Thursday, the search effort trying to find the Titan five-person submersible said it had evidence in the ‘new’ debris field found about 1,600 feet from the actual Titanic site contained pieces that were confirmed to be from the submersible.
The Navy had said they picked up a loud noise on Sunday that was very consistent with either an explosion or likely an implosion of the craft, just over an hour and 45 minutes into its descent, and at the time the surface team lost contact with the sub.
According to the AP, Navy officials did not report the noise to release it publicly because at that time it had not been completely confirmed as being the Titan.
No statements about the company’s future have been released, by Ocean Gate did release this message:
“Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew.”
A University of Washington Professor said, according to MyNorthwest.com, that the waivers signed by those who got on board the last fatal trip might stand up in court.
There has been widespread speculation, but so far no definitive word, of potential lawsuits against the company over this incident.
According to court papers from the U.S. District Court in Norfolk, VA, 46 people have successfully utilized OceanGate subs to travel to, and back from, the Titanic site between 2021 and 2022. According to OceanGate’s information, people could pay $250K for the trip.
More information about the company’s future could be coming soon.
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