Titan submersible tour operator ‘leveraged intimidation tactics’ to evade scrutiny – report

On Tuesday, the US Coast Guard published a 335-page report in which identified eight “primary causal factors” that led to the fatal implosion

Tue, 05 Aug, 2025 - 14:29

Josh Payne, PA Chief Reporter

The tour operator responsible for the Titan submersible, which fatally imploded near the wreckage of the Titanic, “leveraged intimidation tactics … to evade regulatory scrutiny”, a US Coast Guard investigation report has concluded.

The incident resulted in the deaths of five people in June 2023 – including British adventurer Hamish Harding and father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood.

The chief executive of tour operator OceanGate Expeditions, Stockton Rush, and French national Paul-Henri Nargeolet, were also killed in the incident.

British adventurer Hamish Harding was one of five people on board the vessel when it imploded (Dirty Dozen Productions/PA)

On Tuesday, the US Coast Guard published a 335-page report in which identified eight “primary causal factors” that led to the fatal implosion.

The report criticised OceanGate’s design and testing processes and the continued use of the Titan submersible despite “a series of incidents that
compromised the integrity of the hull and other critical components”.

Authored by lead investigator Thomas Whalen and marine board chairman Jason Neubauer, it read: “For several years preceding the incident, OceanGate leveraged intimidation tactics, allowances for scientific operations, and the company’s favourable reputation to evade regulatory scrutiny.

“By strategically creating and exploiting regulatory confusion and oversight challenges, OceanGate was ultimately able to operate Titan completely outside of the established deep-sea protocols, which had historically contributed to a strong safety record for commercial submersibles.

“The lack of both third-party oversight and experienced OceanGate employees on staff during their 2023 Titan operations allowed OceanGate’s chief executive officer to completely ignore vital inspections, data analyses, and preventative maintenance procedures, culminating in a catastrophic event.”