Family of explorer who died in Titan sub implosion seeks over $50M in lawsuit
The family of a French explorer who died in a submarine implosion has filed a wrongful death lawsuit seeking more than $50 million. The family accuses the submarine’s pilot of gross negligence.
Paul-Henri Nargeolet was one of five people who died when the Titan submarine imploded during a voyage to the famous Titanic wreck site in the North Atlantic Ocean in June 2023. No one survived the journey aboard the experimental submarine operated by OceanGate, a Washington state company that has since ceased operations.
Nargeolet, known as “Mr. Titanic”, had visited the Titanic site many times before and was considered one of the world’s most knowledgeable people on the famous wreck. Lawyers for his estate said in an emailed statement that the “doomed submarine” had a “troubled history” and that OceanGate failed to disclose key facts about the vessel and its durability.
“The lawsuit further alleges that although Nargeolet was designated by OceanGate as a member of the vessel’s crew, many of the details about the vessel’s defects and deficiencies were not disclosed and were intentionally concealed,” attorneys from the Houston, Texas-based Buzbee Law Firm said in their statement.
An OceanGate spokesman declined to comment on the lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday in King County, Washington.
Tony Buzbee, one of the attorneys working on the case, said one of the goals of the lawsuit is to “get answers for the family about exactly how this happened, who was involved and how those involved allowed this to happen.”
After the disaster, concerns arose about whether Titan was doomed due to its unconventional design and its maker’s refusal to submit to industry-standard independent audits. The implosion also raised questions about the viability and future of private deep-sea exploration.
The U.S. Coast Guard quickly launched a high-level investigation, which is ongoing. important public hearing that part of the research will take place in September.
The Titan made its final dive on June 18, 2023, a Sunday morning, and lost contact with its support ship about two hours later. After a search and rescue mission that attracted worldwide attention, the wreck of the Titan was found on the ocean floor about 984 feet (300 meters) from the bow of the Titanic, about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. John’s, Newfoundland.
OceanGate CEO and co-founder Stockton Rush was operating the Titan when it imploded. In addition to Rush and Nargeolet, the implosion killed British adventurer Hamish Harding and two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood.
The company that owns the salvage rights on the Titanic is making its first trip to the wreck site in years. Last month, RMS Titanic Inc., a Georgia-based company, launched its first expedition to the site since 2010 from Providence, Rhode Island.
Nargeolet was director of underwater research for RMS Titanic. His estate’s lawyers described him as a seasoned veteran of underwater exploration who would not have participated in the Titan expedition if the company had been more transparent.